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TO  THE 


BOOK  OF  REVELATION; 


WITH 


AN  APPENDIX. 


BY  JAMES  M.  MACDONALD, 

MINISTER   OF   THE    PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH,   JAMAICA,    L.    I. 


SECOND   EDITION. 


NEW    LONDON: 
PUBLISHED   BY   COLFAX  &  HOLT. 

1848. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1846, 

BY  BAKER  &  SCRIBNER, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States 

for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION. 


In  offering  to  the  public  another  edition  of  the  present 
work,  I  feel  called  upon  to  express  my  gratitude  for  the  appro- 
bation with  which  it  has  been  met ;  which  has  been  far  more 
general  and  decided  than  I,  as  a  new  writer,  on  a  very  diffi- 
cult subject,  had  any  reason  to  expect.  Persons  of  different 
religious  denominations,  and  many  of  them  entire  strangers 
to  me,  and  to  whom  I  must  have  been  wholly  unknown 
before  my  work  came  into  their  hands,  have  been  pleased  to 
speak  in  the  most  encouraging  terms  of  my  labors. 

I  wish  here  distinctly  to  state,  what  was  intimated  in  the 
preface  to  the  first  edition,  that  this  work  was  prepared  not 
so  much  for  learned  theologians,  as  for  the  great  mass  of 
educated  and  thinking  minds.  It  has  afforded  me  not  a  little 
satisfaction  to  learn,  that  it  has  assisted  some  such  in  reading 
to  their  profit  a  portion  of  God's  word,  which  before  was 
vailed  in  impenetrable  mystery. 

In  this  edition  those  errors  and  blemishes  which,  owing 
to  my  distance  from  the  press,  much  to  my  annoyance,  crept 
into  the  first,  have  been  carefully  corrected.  I  have  also 
taken  the  liberty  to  make  a  slight  change  in  the  title-page 
by  dropping  an  expression,  which,  from  the  use  that  has 
been  made  of  it,  might  make  a  false  impression  on  the  mind 
of  one  who  should  allow  himself  to  judge  of  the  character  of 
the  book  from  merely  reading  the  title. 

Jamaica,  March  22, 1848. 


PREFACE. 


To  the  celebrated  Dr.  South  has  been  attributed  the  say- 
ing,  that  the  study  of  the  Apocalypse  either  finds  a  man 
mad,  or  makes  him  so  ;  and  long  since  it  was  mentioned 
as  high  praise  of  John  Calvin,  that  he  never  wrote  on  this 
book  of  Holy  Scripture.  Even  ministers  of  the  gospel  are 
sometimes  heard  to  confess  that  they  avoid  making  this 
book,  or  any  portion  of  it,  a  subject  of  instruction  to  their 
congregations.  But  how  are  we  to  reconcile  a  studied  neg- 
lect of  ihis  book,  amounting  to  a  virtual  proscription  of  it, 
with  its  inspired  authority  1  Believing,  as  the  writer  does, 
that  the  Book  of  Revelation  is  a  part  of  that  "  Scripture 
given  by  inspiration  of  God,"  he  also  believes  that  it  must 
be  "  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction  in  righteousness."  He  knows  of  no  warrant 
for  turning  away  from  this  book,  which  we  have  not  for 
turning  away  from  Malachi,  or  Genesis,  or  any  other  book 
of  the  Bible.  No  one  is  authorized  to  say  that  he  can  find 
enough  in  other  parts  of  Scripture  for  his  instruction  and 
consolation,  without  meddling  with  a  book  which  is  con- 
fessedly so  hard  to  be  understood.  God  knew  where  it  was 
best  to  close  the  canon  of  Scripture  ;  and  as  He  did  not 
see  fit  to  close  it  with  the  Epistle  of  Jude,  no  Christian  has 
a  right,  at  that  point,  to  shut  up  his'Bible,  and  refuse  to 
read  or  study  farther ;  and  especially  is  this  true  of  those 
who  profess  to  be  expounders  and  teachers  of  the  contents 
of  the  Bible. 

It  is  a  very  mistaken  idea  that  the  Apocalypse  is  a  con- 
fused medley  of  disconnected  visions.  On  the  contrary, 
it  is  one  of  the  most  methodical  books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. It  is  characterized  by  unity  and  continuity  of  de- 
sign and  structure,  and  has  the  connection  and  order  of 
history  itself.     By  this,  however,  we  do  not  mean  that  it 


vi  PREFACE. 

constitutes  a  complete  compendium  of  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical history.  But,  its  design  being  to  afford  consolation  to 
persecuted  Christians,  it  predicts  the  overthrow  not  only  of 
the  persecuting  powers  that  existed  at  the  time  it  was  writ- 
ten, but  of  all  other  persecuting  powers  that  might  arise  in 
later  ages,  down  to  the  period  of  the  visible  appearing  of 
Christ  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  The  opinion  that  we  are 
not  to  look  in  this  book  for  anything  relating  to  the  enemies 
of  pure  religion,  who  have  appeared  subsequent  to  the 
apostolic  age,  because  it  was  the  design  of  John  to  console 
his  companions  in  tribulation,  appears  very  singular.  How 
it  was  foreign  to  his  design,  after  devoting  at  least  one  half 
of  the  book  to  foretelling  the  end  of  the  existing  persecu- 
ting powers,  for  him  then  to  proceed  to  assure  these  suffer- 
ing Christians  that  future  enemies  of  Christ's  church  would 
meet  with  a  similar  doom,  it  is  very  hard  to  understand. 
Indeed,  if  John  had  ended  his  work  with  predicting  the  de- 
struction of  Jewish  and  Pagan  persecutors,  it  would  mani- 
festly have  been  incomplete  ;  for  in  the  Apostle  Paul's  day 
another  mystery  of  iniquity  had  already  begun  to  work. 
Papal  Rome  succeeded  to  somewhat  of  the  authority  and 
influence,  in  the  world,  of  Pagan  Rome.  The  same  city 
was  the  metropolis  of  both  ;  and,  to  a  remarkable  extent, 
the  same  territory  was  included  by  each.  The  former,  as 
has  been  abundantly  shown  by  the  learned  Dr.  Middleton, 
perpetuated  the  idolatry  of  the  latter.  It  was  in  this  man- 
ner that  the  beast,  which  symbolized  Papal  Rome,  made  an 
image  to  the  beast  which  symbolized  Pagan  Rome.  The 
second,  therefore,  was  nothing  more  than  a  reproduction  of 
the  first  beast.  Or,  to  draw  an  illustration  from  another 
symbol  employed  in  this  book,  if  the  beast  with  seven  heads 
and  ten  horns,  which  we  admit  represents  the  empire  of 
Pagan  Rome,  was  to  carry  a  woman,  who  was  to  pollute 
and  afflict  the  earth,  leading  men  into  an  idolatry  as  gross 
as  that  of  Pagan  Rome  itself,  how,  we  ask,  was  it  incon- 
gruous with  the  design  of  the  Apocalypse  for  the  writer  to 
proceed  to  describe  this  woman  and  her  abominations.  If 
the  old  Roman  empire  has  been  perpetuated  to  this  day, 
even  in  its  heathen  worship,  as  well  as  its  bloody  violence 
against  that  kingdom  which  is  not  of  this  world,  we  ask  if 
it  was  not  entirely  apposite  to  the  end  John  had  in  view,  to 


PREFACE.  vii 

include  in  his  prophecy  its  cruelties,  errors,  and  final  over- 
thirow  ? 

But  in  saying  that  the  Book  of  Revelation  is  not  to  be 
regarded  as  an  epitome  of  history,  we  are  very  far  from 
admitting  that  we  are  not  to  consult  the  pages  of  history  to 
find  specific  events  as  a  fulfilment  of  its  various  predic- 
tions. If  the  book  is  propheticaL  it  must  predict  events  ; 
if  it  is  fulfilled,  it  must  be  fulfilled  by  answering  events, 
which  it  is  the  province  of  the  historian  to  record.  Truths 
so  self-evident  would  not  have  been  mentioned  had  it 
not  been  for  a  theory  promulgated,  which,  if  the  author 
understands  it,  amounts  to  this,  that  we  are  not  to  look 
for  the  particulars  of  history  in  the  Apocalypse,  but  are 
to  regard  the  prophecy  it  contains  as  a  mere  picture — 
a  symbolical  representation,  not  designed  to  be  specifically 
or  individually  applied.  It  seems  evident  that  such  gene- 
ralization as  this  is  a  more  dangerous  extreme  than  the  the- 
ory which  makes  the  Apocalypse  contain  a  complete  syl- 
labus of  history.  Does  it  not  nearly  or  quite  destroy  "the 
prophetical  character  of  the  book  ?  It  makes  the  object 
of  John  to  be  the  publication  of  the  general  truth,  that  per- , 
secuting  enemies  of  the  church  will  be  destroyed.  It  re- 
presents that  the  words  of  John  would  have  been  as  truly 
fulfilled  if  these  enemies  had  been  destroyed  in  any  other 
way  or  by  any  other  means.  But  to  declare  the  general 
truth,  that  persecutors  would  be  overthrown,  why  was  jjroph- 
ecy  necessary  at  all,  when  a  simple  'promise  would  amount 
to  the  same  thing  ?  In  a  word,  what  are  predictions,  which 
are  so  "  generic  "  as  not  to  admit  of  a  specific  application 
to  the  events  of  history,  but  mere  promises  ? 

In  endeavoring  to  represent  fairly  the  theory  stated 
above,  I  feel  bound  to  mention  that  by  those  who  maintain 
it  a  specific  application  is  given,  in  many  instances,  to  the 
predictions  of  the  Apocalypse.  For  example,  what  can  be 
more  specific  than  to  understand  by  "  the  image  of  the 
beast  that  should  speak,"  Rev.,  xiii.  15,  certain  statues  of 
Nero,  that  had  the  appearance  of  animation,  that  could 
move  the  lips  and  appear  to  speak,  &c.  1*  The  writer 
confesses  that  he  does  not  understand  the  "  hermeneutical 
principles  "  by  which  such  an  interpretation  as  this  can  be 

*  See  Stuart's  Commentary,  Vol.  II.,  p.  288, 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

reconciled  with  the  theory  that,  in  interpreting  this  book, 
particular  and  specific  facts,  which  the  pen  of  history  re- 
cords, are  scarcely  in  any  instance  to  be  recognized. 

In  conclusion,  the  author  would  say  that  it  has  been  his 
aim  to  prepare  a  work  that  would  be  generally  useful  ; 
and  hence,  whilst  he  has  had  the  original  text  constantly 
before  him,  he  has  avoided  the  introduction  of  Greek  words 
into  his  volume,  as  well  as  words  from  other  langruao-es, 
and  newly-invented  phrases  in  our  own,  not  generally  un- 
derstood by  plain  English  readers.  In  two  or  three  in- 
stances in  which  he  has  departed  from  this  rule,  it  seemed 
to  him  unavoidable.  At  the  same  time,  he  is  not  conscious 
of  having  spared  any  pains  to  make  his  work  worthy  of  at- 
tention from  an  enlightened  Christian  public.  He  hopes 
he  has  not  written  without  some  sense  of  solemn  responsi- 
bility, and  that  he  has  not  been  unmindful  of  the  awful  de- 
nunciations which  are  made  against  that  man  who  shall 
add  to  or  take  away  any  thing"  from  the  words  of  the  book 
of  this  prophecy."  He  has  sincerely  sought  to  discover 
and  promote  the  truth,  and  now  humbly  invokes  on  his 
work,  and  those  who  may  give  it  a  perusal,  the  blessing  of 
the  God  of  truth. 

September,  1346. 


INTRODUCTION. 


DATE     OF     THE     APOCALYPSE. 

From  the  confidence  with  which  the  testimony  of 
Irenaeus  has  been  appealed  to,  it  might  be  inferred  that  he 
had  written  expressly  on  the  date  of  the  Apocalypse.  In 
his  work  against  Heresies,  he  remarks  that  there  were 
some  copies  of  the  Revelation  in  which  the  passage.  Rev. 
xiii.  18,  was  not  to  be  found,  but  that  all  the  more  accurate 
copies  contained  it.  The  object  of  the  whole  chapter  is 
to  show  that  nothing  should  be  rashly  affirmed  respecting 
the  name  of  antichrist,  (for  it  was  to  this  name  that 
Irenaeus  supposed  the  passage,  on  which  he  was  comment- 
ing, referred,)  when  the  number  of  this  name,  666,  might 
be  made  to  agree  with  so  many  names.  He  shows  why 
the  mystery  of  this  name  was  not  clearly  explained,  by 
the  spirit  of  inspiration  ;  and  the  rest  of  the  chapter  relates 
to  the  kingdom,  and  the  death  of  Antichrist.  Obviously, 
it  was  not  the  design  of  the  chapter  in  question  to  prove  or 
assert  any  thing  relative  to  the  time  when  this  book  was 
written. 

There  is,  however,  in  the  chapter  referred  to  (Adv. 
Haeres,  v.  30),  a  passage  in  which  it  is  contended  that  he 
has  incidentally  recorded  his  opinion  that  the  Revelation 
1 


a  INTRODUCTION. 

was  written  near  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Domitian,  an  em. 
peror  of  Rome.  The  passage  is  as  follows : — 'Hfiiig 
ovf  ova  dcnoxivdvvsvojiiev  nsgi  tov  ovofxaxog  tow  ^ylv. 
TixQi'OTOv  drrocpaipousvot,  ^eSaiojityojg,  h  yuq  sdei  ^vacf>otv8bv 
TCp  vvv  xatgiS  ariQvi'Qsodai  to  ofo^ua  avxov,  6l  ixslfov  (xv  ig- 
gidr}  lov  xal  ri]P  'Anoiidilvxpiv  hiaganozog  y  ovde  yag  ngb 
noKXov  xgb*'ov  ebig&drj^  aXha  (txs86p  inl  Trig  ■qixerigcxg  yepeag^ 
ngbg  tw  xeliu  jr^g  Jo/ueridvov  agxrig.  "  We  will  not,  there- 
fore, in  regard  to  this  name  of  Antichrist,  run  the  hazard 
of  speaking  positively  ;  for,  if  it  had  been  necessary 
clearly  to  have  proclaimed  his  name,  at  the  present  time, 
it  would  have  been  done  by  him  to  whom  the  revela- 
tion was  made.  For  it  is  not  a  long  time  ago  [he]  was 
seen,  but  almost  in  our  day,  near  the  end  of  the  reign  of 
Domitian." 

It  will  be  observed  that  in  the  original  the  word  sMgddr] 
has  no  nominative  expressed.  If  ^Anoxdnlvipig  is  to  be  sup- 
plied, then  it  is  evident  that  the  testimony  of  Irenaeus  is, 
that  the  Revelation  was  seen  and  written  near  the  end  of 
the  reign  of  Domitian.  But  iV liaawijg  is  to  be  understood, 
as  I  have  indicated  in  the  translation  above,  then  it  follows 
that  the  authority  of  this  ancient  father  can  not  be  adduced 
in  support  of  the  later  date  which  has  been  assigned  to  this 
book.  The  assertion  that  John  was  seen — that  is, 
was  alive — near  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Domitian,  of 
course  does  not  prove  that  this  book  was  written  at  that 
time. 

It  is  admitted  that  'Anox&lvxpig  is  the  more  appropriate 
nominative  (grammatically  considered)  to  the  verh  of 
sight ;  that  the  application  of  this  verb  to  the  man  who  had 
seen  the  vision  appears  unusual ;  and  that  it  is  used,  just 
above,  in  the  active  voice  of  the  vision  itself,  which  makes 
the  transition  to  the  seer  somewhat  sudden.  It  is  also  ad- 
mitted that  the  proper  name  itself,  or  iho  pronoun,  might 


INTRODUCTION.  3 

have  been  easily  expressed,  as  the  subject  of  sMgadrj,  to  re- 
move all  ambiguity  arising  from  the  fact  that  the  word  had 
just  before  been  used  of  unoxdlviiJtg. 

But  the  impression  Avhich  these  considerations  are  calcu- 
lated to  make  is  much  weakened,  if  not  entirely  overcome, 
by  tlie  fact,  that  in  the  beginning  of  the  chapter  Irenaeus, 
beyond  all  doubt,  applies  the  same  verb  to  John  himself. 
His  words  are  bUsLvbiv  tup  na^  oipvv  zov  " Io)avvi]v  ewgaKOTOov. 
Again,  the  scope  of  the  entire  passage  is  to  assign  a  reason 
why  it  was  not  necessary,  at  the  time  Irenaeus  wrote,  for  it 
certainly  to  be  known  who  was  pointed  out  by  the  number 
— "  Six  hundred  three  score  and  six."  He  argues  that  if 
this  knowledge  had  been  important  at  tliat  time,  it  would 
have  been  communicated  by  the  wrher  of  the  Apocalypse, 
who  lived  so  near  their  own  time  that  he  might  almost  be 
said  to  be  of  their  generation,  yeveag.  This  being 
obviously  the  scope  of  his  language,  may  have  been  the 
reason  why  Irenaeus  did  not,  to  remove  all  ambiguity,  use 
the  name  of  John,  or  the  personal  pronoun.  There  was 
also  something  about  John,  considering  his  great  age,  his 
somewhat  mysterious  character,  and  the  deep  interest  which 
the  church  had  in  him  as  surviving  apostle,  which  might 
make  the  verb  sMQddi]  peculiarly  applicable  to  him.  To 
say  of  one,  "he  was  seen" — meaning  thereby  he  was 
alive  at  a  certain  time,  would  be  rather  strange  and  un- 
ratural  language,  whether  in  Greek  or  English,  as  applied 
to  an  ordinary  mem.  When  we  consider,  however,  how 
much  would  be  thought  of  the  mere  fact  of  seeing  this' 
most  aged  apostle,  and  of  being  an  eye-witness  of  one  who 
had  seen  the  Lord,  there  seems  to  be  a  natural  solution  of 
the  difficulty  arising  from  the  unusual  nature  of  the  ex- 
pression— especially  in  connexion  with  the  fact  that  this 
verb,  beyond  all  doubt,  is  applied  to  him  in  the  beginning 
of  the  chapter. 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

To  say  the  least,  the  meaning  of  Irenaeus  is  doubtful  on 
the  very  point  for  which  his  testimony  is  cited  ;  and  if  so, 
is  certainly  not  to  be  appealed  to  against  the  evidence 
which  the  book  itself  furnishes  to  a  different  date,  nor 
against  the  clear,  positive  testimony  of  other  ancient  wri- 
ters, if  any  such  can  be  found. 

If  the  above  reasoning  be  correct,  it  is  perfectly  obvious 
that  there  is  nothing  in  Irenaeus  on  which  any  reliance 
can  be  placed,  in  determining  the  time  when  the  Apoca- 
lypse was  written.  If  he  simply  declares,  what  is  dispu- 
ted by  no  one,  that  the  apostle  John  was  alive  near  the  end 
of  the  reign  of  Domitian — and  I  think  it  would  be  difficult 
to  prove  that  this  is  not  the  more  natural  import  of  his 
language — it  by  no  means  follows  that  he  meant  to  assert 
that  the  apostle  wrote  the  Apocalypse  at  that  time. 

Clement,  of  Alexandria,  speaks  of  John  being  banished 
to  Patmos,  but  he  does  not  give  the  name  of  the  emperor 
— or  TYRANT,  as  he  styles  him — who  banished  him,  nor 
refer  to  the  time  when  the  book  was  written. 

Origen  simply  says  that  John  was  banished  to  Patmos  by 
a  king  of  the  Romans,  but  he  makes  no  mention  of  either 
Nero  or  Domitian. 

It  appears  to  have  been  Eusebius,  who  flourished  in  the 
earliest  part  of  the  fourth  century,  who  first  expressly 
asserted  that  John  was  an  exile  in  Patmos  during  the  reign 
of  Domitian.  It  is  on  the  authority  of  this  historian,  it 
will  probably  be  found,  that  the  theory  which  assigns  the 
Apocalypse  to  the  time  of  Domitian  mainly  rests.  But  it 
appears,  by  many,  to  have  been  overlooked,  that  Eusebius 
does  not  ascribe  the  Revelation  to  John  the  apostle  ;  for  he 
expressly  says,  "  It  is  likely  the  Revelation  was  seen  by 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

John,  the  elder."  Lardner  thinks  that  the  critical  argu- 
ment of  Dionysius  of  Alexandria,  who  wrote  against  the 
Millenarians,  had  great  weight  with  Eusebius.  Dionysiua 
held  that  the  Apocalypse  was  written  by  an  elder  of  Eph- 
esus,  whose  name  was  John — "  a  holy  and  inspired  man." 
He  endeavored  to  prove  from  the  book  itself — and  it  was 
this  argument  which  evidently  influenced  Eusebius — 
from  its  style,  especially  its  solecisms,  ldi(huaav  /uev  ^ag. 
^uQiHolg,^  which  so  strikingly  distinguish  it  from  the  Gospel 
and  Epistles  of  the  apostle,  that  he  could  not  have  been  the 
author  of  it.  Hence  he  gives  the  name  of  another  John 
as  its  author.  But  I  shall  endeavor  to  show,  in  the  sequel, 
that  a  more  natural  conclusion  may  be  drawn  from  the 
style  of  the  Greek,  and  one  that  will  not  tend  to  weaken 
the  canonical  authority  of  this  book.  I  only  add  in  rela- 
tion to  Eusebius,  that,  as  he  was  dependent  for  his  know- 
ledge of  the  author  on  the  book  itself,  he  must  have  derived 
his  knowledge  of  the  time  when  it  was  written  from  the 
same  source.  His  opinion,  then,  it  is  obvious,  can  have 
weight  in  determining  the  question  under  consideration, 
only  as  he  can  be  shown  to  have  been  a  sound  and  dis- 
criminating critic. 

Epiphanius  [fl.  A.D.  366]  dates  the  Apocalypse  in  the 
reign  of  Claudius,  who  preceded  Nero.  This,  also,  was 
the  opinion  of  the  learned  Grotius.  Epiphanius  is  admit- 
ted to  have  been  an  inaccurate  writer.  Bp.  Newton 
makes  the  suggestion  that  he  might  possibly  have  mistaken 
Claudius  for  his  successor ;  inasmuch  as  Nero  had  as- 
sumed the  name,  Nero  Claudius  Cassar. 

It  is  stated  on  the  authority  of  Jerome,  who  flourished 
about  the  year  of  our  Lord  380,  that  the  apostle  John,  in 

♦  Euseb.  Hist.  Ec.  lib.  vii.  c.  25. 
1* 


6  INTRODUCTION. 

the  year  of  our  Lord  96,  at  which  many  of  the  moderns 
have  dated  this  book,  was  "  so  very  weak  and  infirm,  that 
he  was  with  great  difhcuhy  carried  to  church,  and  could 
hardly  speak  a  few  words  to  the  people."*  That  so  aged 
a  man,  weighed  down  with  the  infirmities  of  a  hundred 
years,  and  nearly  laid  aside  from  the  active  duties  of  his 
apostleship  and  ministry — residing,  too,  at  a  great  distance 
from  Rome — should  have  so  excited  the  ire  of  the  emperor 
as  to  have  been  banished  to  Patmos,  and  that  there,  or  at  a 
still  later  period,  he  should  have  written  the  Revelation, 
appears,  to  say  the  least,  highly  improbable,  if  not  clearly 
absurd.  The  romantic  adventure  of  the  apostle,  in  pur- 
suing a  young  robber  on  horseback — related  by  Eusebius 
as  having  occurred  after  his  return  from  exile — is  equally 
inconsistent  with  fixing  the  time  of  his  exile  in  the  reign 
of  Domitian.  At  the  death  of  Domitian,  A.D.  96,  John 
was  nearly  one  hundred  years  old  ;  and,  as  already  shown 
fi-om  the  testimony  of  Jerome,  had  become  exceedingly 
infirm. 

Andrew,  who  was  bishop  of  Cassarea,  in  Cappadocia, 
near  the  close  of  the  fifth  century,  wrote  a  commentary 
on  the  Apocalypse,  in  which  he  affirms  that  this  book  was 
understood  to  have  been  written  before  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  Arethas,  who  was  bishop  of  the  same  place 
in  the  sixth  century,  assigns  to  the  Apocalypse  the  same 
date. 

In  the  Syriac  version,  this  book  is  entitled — The  Reve- 
lation which  loas  made  by  God  to  John,  the  evangel ist,  in  the 
island  Patmos,  into  which  he  was  thrown  hy  Nero  C(Bsar. 
The  Syriac  version  of  the  New  Testament  was  made  in 
the  second  century.     It  has,  however,  been  confidently 

*  Epist.  ad  Galat.,  cap.  6.  torn  4. 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

asserted  that  the  version  of  the  Apocalypse  was  not  made 
until  about  A.D.  508.  But  learned  critics  maintain  that 
it  is  by  no  means  absolutely  certain  that  this  version  was 
made  at  so  late  a  period.  The  above  inscription,  there- 
fore, may  possibly  be  among  the  more'  ancient  testi- 
monies in  regard  to  the  time  when  the  Apocalypse  was 
written. 

Theophylact,  in  the  eleventh  century,  places  the  origin 
of  the  Apocalypse  during  the  reign  of  Nero.  And  such 
writers,  it  may  be-  added,  as  Grotius,  Lightfoot,  Sir  Isaac 
Newton,  Warburton,  Bishop  Newton,  Hammond,  Wetstein, 
Dr.  Tilloch,  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  Prof.  Lee,  Prof.  Stuart,  and 
many  of  the  German  critics,  have  favored  the  opinion  that 
the  Apocalypse  was  written  before  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem. 

I  shall  now  proceed  to  point  out  the  true  and  natural 
inference  to  be  drawn  from  the  instances  of  confused  con- 
struction and  Hebraisms  with  which  the  Apocalypse 
abounds.  It  is  obviously  this,  that  this  book  was  written 
not  long  after  John  had  left  Judea,  and  of  course  before 
his  Spistles  and  Gospel  were  Avritten — i.  e.,  before  he  had 
acquired  that  greater  purity  and  accuracy  of  style,  in  the 
Greek  language,  which  distinguish  these  last-named  pro- 
ductions from  the  former.  It  may  be  premised,  t4iat  about 
the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  scholars  were 
divided  in  opinion  in  respect  to  the  style  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament ;  some  maintaining  that  it  accorded  in  every  respect 
with  ancient  Greek  purity  and  elegance ;  whilst  the  oppo- 
site party  not  only  recognized  its  Hebrew  complexion,  but 
represented  this  as  a  predominant  characteristic.  Towards 
the  close  of  that  century  the  latter  opinion  prevailed. 
More  recently,  some  philologists  have  appeared  disposed  to 


8  ^  INTRODUCTION. 

adopt  a  middle  course,  by  maintaining  that  the  Hebraisms 
of  the  New  Testament  are  more  frequently  lexicographal 
than  grammatical  ;  i.  e.,  that  they  chiefly  consist  in  the 
change  or  extension  of  meaning  of  words,  imitation  of 
whole  phrases,  the  analogous  formation  of  new  words,  etc. 
At  the  same  time,  they  admit  that  there  are  not  wanting 
examples  of  the  combination  of  Hebrew  inflexions  and  con- 
structions, and  a  predilection  for  the  preposition,  where  the 
Greeks  use  only  the  cases ;  and  that  "  native  Greeks 
generally,  did  not  understand,  and  therefore  despised''  the 
Greek  as  spoken  among  the  Jews. 

In  regard  to  the  Apocalypse,  in  particular,  Winer 
admits,  as  may  be  seen  §  35,  2,  Idioms  of  the  New 
Testament,  that  the  solecisms  in  the  style  of  this  book  give 
it  an  appearance  of  greater  imperfection  and  harshness 
than  is  found  to  characterize  other  parts  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament. He  endeavors,  it  is  true,  to  explain  these  in- 
accuracies, by  classing  them  as  anacolutha  (ungrammatical 
sentences),  or  as  oratio  variata  (confused  construction) ; 
he  even  asserts  that  analogous  examples  may  be  found  in 
classic  Greek  writers,  but  he  nevertheless  admits  that  they 
are  not  of  so  frequent  occurrence  as  in  the  Apocalypse. 
Here,  then,  it  is  admitted  in  a  work — the  object  of  vyhich 
is  to  show  that  the  grammatical  character  of  the  New 
Testament  is  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the  Greek 
language — 1.  That  there  are  examples  of  ungrammatical 
sentences,  and  confused  construction,  which  impart  to  the 
style  of  the  Apocalypse  a  harshness  and  imperfection  not 
to  be  found  in  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament ;  and 
2.  That  these  examples  are  without  analogy,  as  to  their 
number  or  frequency,  in  the  Greek  classics.  These 
admissions  are  the  more  valued  as  it  is  so  difficult  to  believe 
that  the  anomalies  of  the  Revelation — as  to  their  number 
at  least — may  be  vindicated  by  parallel  examples  from 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

classic  Greek  authors.  Even  Prof.  Stuart,  who  labors 
with  great  earnestness  to  show  that  John  had  so  learned 
Greek  as  to  seldom  make  a  misstep  in  the  use  of  it,  ad- 
mits that  instances  of  ungrammatical  phrases  and  sentences, 
in  the  Apocalypse,  occur  more  frequently  than  in  any 
single  classical  writer  of  the  Greek  language.  Now,  it  is 
these  acknowledged  inaccuracies  of  style,  these  palpable 
departures  from  the  ordinary  rules  of  syntax,  so  numerous 
that  they  may  be  said  to  pervade  it,  which  sufficiently 
prove  that  the  writer  of  this  book  was  unaccustomed  to  the 
use  of  the  Greek  language,  and  had  probably  but  recently 
come  from  Judea. 

The  conclusion  is  irresistible,  that  it  must  have  been 
written  before  the  Gospel  and  Epistles  of  John,  and  of 
course  considerably  previous  to  the  year  of  our  Lord  96 
or  97.  Nor  would  this  conclusion  be  materially  weakened 
if  we  were  fully  to  admit  all  that  some  writers  have  con- 
tended for,  who  have  undertaken  to  vindicate  the  grammat- 
ical character  of  the  Apocalypse.  Their  vindication 
professes  to  go  no  farther  than  the  principles  of  grammar 
are  concerned.  That  the  idiom  is  Hebraistic,  that  the 
meaning  of  some  words  has  been  changed,  and  that  of 
others  extended,  and  that  entire  Hebrew  phrases  are  imi- 
tated, is  not  called  in  question.  This  Hebrew  complexion, 
so  prominent  in  the  style  of  the  Apocalypse,  beyond  any 
other  portion  of  the  New  Testament,  sufficiently  proves 
that  the  writer  of  it  was  but  recently  arrived  from  Judea, 
and  was  scarcely,  if  at  all,  familiar  vvith  the  classic  Greek 
authors. 

Some  writers  have  supposed  that  several  of  the  apos- 
tolical epistles  contain  quotations  from  the  Apocalypse ; 
e.  g.  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  and  the  Second  Epistle 
of  Peter.     So  far  as  there  is  any  evidence  in  support  o\ 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

this  opinion,  it  will  afford  ^some  light  as  to  the  time  when 
this  book  was  written.  In  proof  that  the  apostles  had 
studied  it,  and  were  familiar  with  its  phrases,  Sir  Isaac 
Newton  remarks  that — '•  the  style  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  became  more  mystical  than  that  of  Paul's  other 
epistles,  and  the  style  of  John's  Gospel  more  figurative 
and  majestical  than  that  of  the  other  gospels.  I  do  not 
apprehend  that  Christ  was  called  the  Word  of  God  in  any 
book  of  the  New  Testament  written  before  the  Apocalypse, 
and  therefore  am  of  opinion  the  language  was  taken  from 
this  prophecy."  The  phrases — "cloud  of  wimesses," 
"  author  and  finisher  of  faith,"  may  have  been  suggested 
by  Rev.  xi.  3,  12,  which  describes  the  two  witnesses,  and 
their  ascension  to  heaven  in  a  cloud;  and  Rev.  i.  8—"  I 
am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending." 
Heb.  xii.  22—29;  xiii.  13,  14,  may  furnish  some  ground 
for  supposing  that  the  author  of  the  Epistle  was  familiar 
with  the  Apocalypse — particularly  the  passages  which 
describe  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  the  passing  away  of  the 
present  world. 

The  subject  in  regard  to  which  the  apostle  Peter  (2 
Pet.  i.  19)  desired  to  put  Christians  in  remembrance,  was 
the  coming  of  Christ.  In  this  passage,  it  seems  to  be  his 
object  to  state  one  of  the  proofs  of  this  glorious  event : — 
''  We  have  also  a  more  sure  word  of  profhecy,  where- 
unto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed,  as  unto  a  light  that 
shineth  in  a  dark  place,  until  the  day  dawn,  and  the  day- 
star  arise  in  your  hearts."  Is  not  here  an  obvious  allusion 
to  the  Apocalypse  ?  Peter  would  prove  that  the  doctrine 
of  the  coming  of  Christ,  which  he  had  advanced,  was  not 
a  cunningly  devised  fable  ;  he,  therefore,  as  being  perfectly 
conclusive  of  its  truth,  refers  to  a  more  clear,  §6(^aicnBQ0p^ 
or  convincing  word  of  prophecy — with  which  they  were 
then   favored — expressly  designed  more  fully  to  predict 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

this  coming,  and  to  lead  Christians  confidently  to  expect  it. 
In  the  second  chapter,  Peter  describes  the  false  teachers 
that  were  to  infest  the  diurch ;  in  the  third  chapter, 
Christ's  coming  to  judgiflent,  the  conflagration  of  the  pre- 
sent heavens  and  earth — he  describes  the  new  heavens  and 
the  new  earth — all  strikingly  agreeing,  as  to  imagery  and 
phrases,  with  the  Apocalypse.  Paul  and  Peter,  it  is  well 
known,  suffered  martyrdom  near  the  close  of  Nero's  reign. 
It  was  also  the  opinion  of  Sir  I.  Newton,*  that  many 
phrases  in  the  Gospel  of  Johix  were  taken  from  this  pro- 
phecy ;  "  such  as  those  of  Christ's  being  the  light  of  the 
world, — the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world, — the  Bridegroom, — He  that  testifieth, — He  that  came 
down  from  heaven, — the  Son  of  God."  f 

But  the  most  satisfactory  evidence,  in  regard  to  the  time 
when  the  Apocalypse  was  written,  is  that  whicli  is  to  be 
derived  from  the  contents  of  the  book  itself.  It  bears  in- 
ternal evidence  of  having  been  written  prior  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem.  John  represents  an  angel,  Rev.  xi.  1 
— 8,  as  putting  into  his  hand  a  reed,  and  commanding  him 
to  measure  the  temple  and  altar  of  God.  The  only  tem- 
ple of  the  true  and  living  God  was,  and  always  had  been, 
at  Jerusalem.  The  angel  styles  it  "  the  holy  city."  So 
Jerusalem  was  called,  and  is  to  this  day,  by  the  Jews.  It 
was  the  seat  of  their  sacred  festivals.  "  And  their  dead 
bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great  city,  which  spirit- 
ually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord  was 
crucified."  To  understand  Jerusalem  here  in  a  figura- 
tive sense,  is  not  necessary,  on  the  ground  that  the  pro- 
phecy may  not  otherwise  be  clearly  and  consistently  inter- 
preted ;    for  it  is  the  opinion  of  some  learned  annotators 

*  Obs.  on  Apoc.  c.  i.  p.  240.     Sec  also  Warburton's  Scnnons, 
t  Sec  Tilloch's  Dissertations. 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

that  the  most  consistent  interpretation  of  this  book  is  that 
which  presupposes  it  to  have  been  written  anterior  to  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem.  And  the  symbolical  sense,  as 
universally  acknowledged,  can  be«supposed  only  when  the 
general  scope  and  design  can  be  shown  to  forbid  the  literal 
sense. 

It  remains  to  notice  a  passage  which  much  more  defi- 
nitely points  out  the  date  of  this  book.  Professor  Stuart,  in 
his  late  work,  has  shown  from  it  that  Nero  must  have  been 
the  sixth,  and  the  reigning  emperor  of  Rome,  at  the  time  the 
Apocalypse  was  written.  The  passage  is  Rev.  xvii.  7 — 
11;  the^tenth  verse  reads  thus:  "And  there  are  seven 
kings  ;  five  are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet 
come  ;  and  when  he  cometh  he  must  continue  a  short 
space."  From  the  expression,  "  five  are  fallen,  and  one 
is,"  it  would  appear  that  this  book  was  written  during  the 
reign  of  the  sixth  of  the  emperors  of  Rome.  Now  the 
context  strikingly  describes  Nero,  by  alluding  to  the  popu- 
lar belief,  that  after  disappearing  for  a  time,  that  emperor 
would  make  his  appearance  again,  as  if  he  had  risen  from 
the  dead.  In  the  eighth  verse,  we  have  the  allusion  to 
this  popular  belief,  particularly  in  the  expression,  "  the 
beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is."  This  beast  was 
to  ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  perdition ; 
and  this  would  greatly  astonish  the  inhabitants  of  Pagan 
Rome,  whose  names  were  not  written  in  the  book  of  life. 
"  Here  is  the  mind  which  hath  wisdom,"  or  here  is  the 
thing  which  the  instructed  mind  alone  can  understand. 
*'  The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains,  on  which  the  wo- 
man sitteth."  Rome  was  built  on  seven  hills.  "And 
there  are  seven  kings."  Julius  Csesar  was  regarded  by  the 
patriots  of  the  commonwealth  as  aiming  at  kingly  autho- 
rity ;  he  was  at  length  declared  perpetual  Dictator,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  nation  was  convulsed  with  civil 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

wars;  and  he  was  finally  assassinated  as  one  who  had 
already  usurped  monarchical  authority.  Accordingly  we 
find  that  the  ancients,  although  the  empire  was  not  fully 
established  till  the  time  of  Augustus,  reckoned  from  Julius 
Caesar.  "  Five  are  fallen :"  Julius  Csesar,  Augustus, 
Tiberius,  Caligula,  and  Claudius.  "And  one  is:"  Nero. 
"  And  the  other  is  not  yet  come  ;  and  when  he  cometh,  he 
must  continue  a  short  space :"  Galba,  who  reigned  but 
seven  months,  makes  the  seventh.  And  then  the  popular 
belief  in  regard  to  Nero  is  again  brought  distinctly  to 
view  :  "  And  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the 
eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition."  Had 
the  expectation  in  regard  to  Nero,  that,  after  disappearing 
for  a  time,  he  would  come  again,  been  fulfilled,  he  would 
have  been  the  eighth ;  and  he  might  also  have  been  said 
to  be  of  the  seven,  in  allusion  to  the  short  reign  of  Galba, 
who  is  generally  reckoned  as  one  of  the  mock  emperors. 

This  popular  belief  in  regard  to  Nero,  was  founded  on 
a  prediction  of  the  soothsayers  in  the  early  part  of  his 
reign.  Accordingly,  after  his  death,  several  impostors 
appeared,  professing  to  be  Nero  ;  and  there  were  not  want- 
ing those  who,  in  the  full  expectation  that  he  would  re- 
appear and  recover  his  power,  vernis  aestivisque  jioribus 
tumulum  ejus  omareni*  i.  e.  adorned  his  tomb  with  spring 
and  summer  flowers,  with  the  hope,  doubtless,  of  thus  in- 
gratiating themselves  into  his  favor.  From  numerous 
sources,  Christian  as  well  as  pagan,  Professor  Stuart  shows, 
how  strong  and  wide-spread  was  the  expectation  of  Nero's 
return.  For  information  on  this  subject,  and  for  the  clear- 
est proof  that  Nero  was  the  sixth  king,  I  must  refer  the 
reader  to  his  Commentary,  vol.  ii.  pp.  4.34,  seq. 

The  mode  of  applying  the  passage  in  chapter  xvii.  in 
support  of  the  theory  which  refers  the  time  of  the  Apoca- 
*  Suetonius,  S  57. 
2 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

lypse  to  the  reign  of  Domitian,  is  as  follows :  The  seven 
kings  represent  the  seven  hills  of  Rome,  merely  to  charac- 
terize them  as  kingly  or  princely  hills.  The  ten  horns 
represent  the  number  of  sovereigns  that  had  ruled  in  Rome. 
That  five  of  her  seven  kings  (which  are  so  many  magnifi- 
cent hills)  are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come, 
etc.,  merely  represents  "  the  condition  of  Rome  as  not  yet 
having  reached  its  acme  in  external  greatness,  but  never- 
theless wasting  away  in  its  internal  strength."  As  the 
horns  are  made  to  represent  the  number  of  emperors 
that  had  already  borne  sway  in  Rome,  it  is  concluded  that 
the  visions  were  seen  under  Domitian.  This  interpreta- 
tion is  exceedingly  lame.  It  confounds  the  seven  heads 
with  the  seven  kings.  It  is  directly  contradictory  to  the 
text,  which  asserts  that  the  ten  horns  are  ten  kings,  "  wliicli 
have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet."  And  it  is  historically 
false,  in  representing  that  Rome  had  not  reached  the  sum- 
mit of  its  greatness  previous  to  the  reign  of  Domitian. 
Other  writers  who,  for  the  most  part,  have  held  to  the 
same  interpretation,  have  departed  from  it  in  some  parti- 
culars, understanding  by  "  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not, 
and  yet  is,"  the  Roman  empire,  idolatrous  under  the  hea- 
then emperors,  then  ceasing  to  be  for  some  time,  under  the 
Christian  emperors,  and  then  becoming  idolatrous  again, 
under  the  Roman  pontiffs ;  and  by  "  the  ten  horns,"  the 
ten  kingdoms,  into  which  the  Roman  empire  was  divided 
after  it  became  Christian.  We  willingly  put  the  two  me- 
thods of  applying  the  passage  side  by  side,  and  let  the  can- 
did reader  judge  for  himself  as  to  which  looks  the  most 
consistent  and  rational. 

The  objection  to  fixing  the  date  of  this  book  in  the  time 
of  Nero,  on  the  ground  that  the  persecution  of  Nero  did 
not  extend  to  the  provinces  of  the  Roman  empire,  and 
therefore  could  not  have  reached  the  seven  churches  of 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

Asia,  does  not  appear  to  be  well  founded.  To  avert  pub- 
lic odium  from  himself,  Nero  charged  the  crime  of  firing 
the  city  of  Rome  on  the  Christians,  and  commenced  one 
of  the  most  sanguinary  persecutions  on  record.  Many 
thousands  are  supposed  to  have  perished  at  Rome.  Lard- 
ner  cites  Orosius  (a  historian  contemporary  with  Augus- 
tine) to  show  that  this  persecution  extended  to  the  pro- 
vinces :  Primus  P^omae  Christianos  suppliciis  et  mortibus 
affecit ;  ac  per  omnes  provincias  pari  persecutione  excru- 
ciari  imperavit. — Oros.  vii.  7,  p.  473.  That  is,  "  he 
(Nero)  first  punished  and  put  to  death  Christians  at  Rome, 
and  then  commanded  that  a  similar  persecution  should  be 
carried  on  against  them  throughout  all  the  provinces."  It 
would  be  easy  to  cite  the  testimony  of  other  ancient  writers 
to  the  same  effect.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Nero- 
nian  persecution  spread  throughout  the  empire  ;  and  doubt- 
less it  would  be  prosecuted  with  the  greatest  rigor  in  the 
cities  of  Asia  Minor,  where  the  labors  of  the  apostles  had 
been  so  signally  successful. 

It  has  also  been  objected,  that  the  seven  churches  of 
Asia  Minor  were  not  founded  so  early  as  this  opinion  pre- 
supposes ;  in  other  words,  that  at  the  time  of  Nero  they 
had  not  been  founded  a  sufficient  period  to  have  undergone 
"  such  changes  and  revolutions  as  the  epistles  to  them  in 
this  book  rejjfcsent  them  to  have  done."  Taking  the  date 
of  Paul's  first  visit  to  Ephesus,  A.D.  54,  as  the  period  of 
their  establishment,  they  had  been  in  existence  some  ten 
or  twelve  years  when  the  revelation  contained  in  this  book 
was  recorded.  And  as  for  "changes  and  revolutions," 
these  were  of  a  moral  kind,  and  such  as  resulted  from  the 
false  teaching  of  heretics,  and  that  declension  in  piety, 
which,  under  such  circumstances,  might  be  apprehended 
in  the  case  of  persons  so  recently  converted  from  idola- 
trous systems  of  religion. 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

Such  is  the  evidence  that  the  Apocalypse  was  written 
before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  probably  in  the  reign 
of  the  emperor  Nero,  between  A.D.  64  and  A.D.  68. 

ITS    DESIGN. 

This  book  was  written,  as  universally  admitted,  in  a 
time  of  severe  persecution.  From  this  circumstance,  as 
well  as  from  some  of  its  express  passages,  its  design  may 
be  readily  ascertained. 

The  writer  of  it  was  an  exile  for  the  word  of  God,  and 
for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  had  but  recently  re- 
turned from  banishment.  The  blood  of  the  ministers  and 
disciples  of  Christ  was  flowing  throughout  the  dominions  of 
the  impious  Nero.  This  truly  was  a  fit  occasion  for  Him 
who  walketh  amidst  the  golden  candlesticks,  to  make 
known  things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass.  The 
predictions  of  our  Saviour  in  regard  to  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  were  on  the  eve  of  being  accomplished.  The 
Jews,  exasperated  by  their  oppressions,  would  more  vio- 
lently engage  in  the  work  of  persecution.  Pagan  Rome, 
in  the  person  of  the  infamous  Nero,  had  already  taken  up 
the  sword.  It  was  under  these  circumstances  that  the 
apostle  addressed  his  companions  "  in  tribulation,  and  in 
the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Chri^"  and  said, 
"  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  the  words 
of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are  written 
therein;  for  the  time  is  at  hand. ^^  The  great  design  of 
this  book,  then,  was  to  console,  and  to  support  the  faith  of 
God's  afflicted  people.  As  if  the  writer  of  it  had  said  : 
"  Fear  not ;  the  time  of  your  deliverance  is  near.  The 
persecuting  powers  under  which  you  now  suffer — the 
Jewish  and  the  Pagan — will  soon  be  destroyed.  Hold 
fast  that  which  thou  hast  received,  that  no  man  take  thy 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

crown.  Behold  I  come  quickly.  And  although  other 
enemies  may  arise  in  future  times,  they  are  all  destined 
to  the  same  overthrow,  when  Christ  shall  reign  in  glory 
for  evermore." 

In  a  word,  it  is  the  design  of  the  Apocalypse  to  teach 
the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  Gospel  over  all  opposition,  sin, 
and  error.  "  The  prophecy  of  the  Revelation,"  says  Dau- 
buz,  "  was  designed  that  when  men  should  suffer  for  the 
name  of  Christ,  they  might  here  find  some  consolation, 
both  for  themselves  and  the  Church  ;  for  themselves,  by 
the  prospect  and  certainty  of  a  reward  ;  for  the  Church, 
by  the  testimony  that  Christ  never  forsakes  it,  but  will  con- 
quer at  last."  "  The  book  of  the  Apocalypse,"  remarks 
Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  "  may  be  considered  as  a  Prophet, 
continued  in  the  Church  of  God,  uttering  predictions, 
relative  to  all  times,  which  have  their  successive  fulfil- 
ment as  ages  roll  on  ;  and  thus  it  stands  in  the  Christian 
church,  in  the  place  of  the  succession  of  prophets  in  the 
Jewish  church ;  and  by  this  special  economy  prophecy  is 
still  continued,  is  always  speaking,  and  yet  a  succession 
of  prophets  rendered  unnecessary." 

In  the  first  part  of  the  Apocalypse  it  is  repeatedly  de- 
clared, that  the  time  was  at  hand  for  the  series  of  predic- 
tions it  contained  to  be  fulfilled.  And  in  the  conclusion, 
or  what  may  be  termed  the  epilogue  of  the  book,  this  is 
again  asserted.  Three  times  we  have  these  words,  "I 
come  quickly."  The  churches  to  which  John  was  sent  to 
testify  were  the  seven  churches  of  Asia.  They  were  suf- 
fering persecution.  Accordingly  this  prophecy  reveals 
the  power  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Prince  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  as  about  to  be  employed  to  bring  to  a  speedy  end 
the  persecutions  by  which  the  people  of  God  were  then 
oppressed.     But  it  not  only  reveals  the  destruction  of  the 

3* 


18  INTRODUCTION. 

particular  persecuting  powers  which  oppressed  the  churches 
of  Asia  Minor,  but  of  every  other  that  might  arise  in  future 
times,  till  the  day  of  complete  and  final  victory.  Hence 
the  great  theme  of  the  Apocalypse  is  the  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  this  world,  in  compassion  to  his  people,  and  judg- 
ment on  his  foes — and,  after  the  destruction  of  all  the  anti- 
christian  powers  that  may  arise  in  different  ages  of  the 
world,  and  the  church  has  enjoyed  a  long  season  of  unex- 
ampled prosperity,  his  final  coming  to  raise  the  dead,  and 
judge  the  righteous  and  the  wicked.  So  that  this  book 
might  be  entitled,  not  inappropriately.  The  Book  of  the 
coming  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  New  Testament  informs  u§ 
of  a  twofold  appearance  or  coming  of  Christ.  One,  his 
appearing  in  the  flesh,  was  visible.  The  other,  or  second, 
relates  to  the  preservation,  propagation,  and  consumma- 
tion of  his  kingdom.  This  second  coming  is  partly  invisi- 
hle,  as  when  he  punishes  the  incorrigibly  wicked,  as  in  the 
instance  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  or  as  when  he  in- 
terposes  for  his  sincere  followers,  and  grants  them  the  light 
and  comfort  of  his  presence.  And  it  is  partly  visible  ; 
that  is,  Christ  at  the  end  of  the  world  will  thus  appear,  to 
raise  the  dead,  and  pass  the  irreversible  sentence  of  judg- 
ment  on  every  man.  Now  it  is  this  second,  partly  visible 
and  partly  invisible  coming  of  Christ,  which  this  book  re- 
veals, and  which  should  never  be  lost  sight  of,  if  we  would 
have  it  said  of  us,  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they 
that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things 
which  are  written  therein." 

In  the  particular  messages  to  the  seven  churches,  the 
writer  of  this  book  has  two  objects  in  view — their  rebuke, 
and  their  consolation  or  encouragement.  They  are  ex- 
horted to  fear  none  of  those  things  which  they  were  to 
suffe^ :  "  Behold  I  come  quickly ;  hold  that  fast  which 
thou  hast."     "  That  v/hich  ye  have  already,  hold  fast  till  I 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

come."  "  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly."  "  I  will  come 
on  thee  as  a  thief."  "Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock."  While  He  thus  endeavours  to  fortify  the  minds  of 
the  faithful  under  their  tribulations,  by  the  assurance  that 
He  would  speedily  come,  He  warns  such  as  had  fallen  into 
a  state  of  spiritual  declension  to  prepare  for  His  coming  by 
repenting,  returning  to  their  first  love,  and  doing  their  first 
works. 

The  book  with  seven  seals  is  a  symbolical  representa- 
tion of  the  whole  prophecy  contained  in  the  Apocalypse. 
In  the  first  six  seals,  we  have  a  prediction  of  the  signs 
and  calamities  that  were  to  precede  the  coming  of  Christ 
at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  of  its  final  overthrow. 
This  was  that  coming  to  which  the  persecuted  Christians, 
whose  "  brother  and  companion  in  tribulation"  John  styles 
himself,  were  directed  then  immediately  to  look  forward. 
The  time  was  near  at  hand.  John  was  commissioned  to 
show  unto  God's  servants  things  which  were  shortly  to 
come  to  pass.  Persecution  succeeded  persecution ;  and 
all  who  acknowledged  themselves  Christians  were  exposed 
to  every  species  of  cruelty.  The  promise,  "  Behold  I 
come  quickly,"  encouraged  the  prayer,  "  Even  so,  come, 
Lord  Jesus  ;"  "  come  for  the  deliverance  of  thy  persecuted 
people."  This  entreaty  was  now  entering  into  the  ears  of 
the  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth ;  and  He  who  was  crucified  was 
about  to  come,  whilst  those  who  pierced  Him  were  alive, 
and  might  see  Him,  and  feel  His  avenging  power.  "  The 
great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord,"  foretold  by  the  pro- 
phets, when  God  would  make  a  complete  end  of  a  rebel- 
lious nation,  gory  with  the  blood  of  the  Messiah  and  His 
faithful  martyrs,  was  at  hand. 

The  prophet  next  proceeds  to  predict  the  destruction  of 
the  pagan  persecuting  power.  The  great  red  dragon,  with 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns,   and  seven  crowns  upon  his 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

heads,  was  a  symbol  of  pagan  Rome.  He  is  represented 
as  standing  before  "  the  woman,"  i.  &.  the  church ;  as 
"  wroth  "  with  her,  as  persecuting  her,  and  going  to  make 
war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed.  These  expressions 
evidently  refer  to  the  bloody  persecutions  of  Christians 
under  Nero,  Domitian,  and  other  emperors  of  Rome.  The 
cruelties  of  the  odious  tyrant  Nero,  are  said  to  have  ex- 
ceeded all  his  other  extravagances.  The  persecution 
which  he  waged  against  Christians  was  not  confined  to  the 
city  of  Rome,  but  extended  over  the  whole  empire.  The 
apostle  Paul,  and  probably  Peter,  fell.  John,  who  had 
taken  up  his  residence  in  Asia  Minor,  was  banished  to  a 
desert  island  in  the  ^gean  Sea.  But  at  length  '•'  a  mor- 
tal arrow  "  reached  the  infamous  persecutor.  The  reigns 
of  successive  emperors  were  signalized  by  persecutions 
equally  sanguinary.  During  the  ten  persecutions,  rivers 
of  blood  were  made  to  flow.  The  last  is  said  to  have  ex- 
ceeded in  severity  all  that  had  gone  before  it.  But  the 
promise,  '-  Behold  I  come,"  sustained  the  faith  of  God's 
people.  "  If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let  him  hear."  At 
the  very  period  of  the  Dioclesian  persecution,  Christianity 
was  advancing  more  rapidly  than  ever  to  the  overthrow  of 
paganism.  The  prayer,  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quick- 
ly," pierced  the  heavens,  and  those  pagan  foes  that  had 
led  God's  people  into  captivity,  were  made  captives ;  and 
those  who  had  killed  them  with  the  sword,  fell  by  the  same 
weapon.  The  pagan  enemies  of  God  and  his  Church  were 
as  remarkably  punished  and  tormented  as  they  had  tor- 
mented others.  The  prediction  of  this  overthrow  was  a 
part  of  that  revelation  which  John  was  commissioned  to 
make  to  those  who  were  his  companions  in  tribulation. 
Such  was  their  consolation,  and  the  consolation  of  their 
brethren  who  came  after,  during  the  general  persecutions 
carried   on    by    the    Roman    emperors ;    and    such    at 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

length  was  the  reward  of  the  faith  and  patience  of  the 
saints. 

The  prophet,  having  completed  his  description  of  the 
advent  of  Christ  to  destroy  the  Jewish  and  pagan  perse- 
cuting powers,  proceeds  next  to  predict  His  coming  to  de- 
stroy a  persecuting  power,  which  would  not  be  developed 
until  long  after  the  Christians,  for  whose  consolation  he 
immediately  wrote,  had  been  called  from  the  present  stage 
of  action.  But  this,  nevertheless,  would  serve  to  fortify 
their  minds,  because  the  assurance  that  God  would  destroy 
future  enemies,  would  be  a  proof  of  His  unchanging  love  to 
His  Church.  And  it  has  actually  served  to  support  the 
faith  of  a  multitude  of  God's  people,  in  different  ages,  to 
the  present  hour.  That  same  Saviour,  who  has  come 
once  and  again  for  the  destruction  of  error  and  of  enemies, 
will  fulfil  all  His  word  in  due  time,  and  great  Babylon 
shall  come  into  remembrance  before  God  ;  and  He  will 
"double  unto  her  double,  according  to  her  worlds ;'^  her 
plagues  shall  come  in  one  day,  and  she  shall  be  utterly 
burned  with  fire.  And  whilst  those  who  have  been  en- 
riched "  by  reason  of  her  costliness"  shall  bewail  her,  a 
great  voice  of  much  people  shall  be  heard  in  heaven,  re- 
joicing over  her,  worshipping  God,  saying,  amen,  ALLE- 
LUIA. He  that  is  "  called  Faithful  and  True,"  whose 
eyes  are  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  whose  head  are  many 
crowns,  will  ride  forth,  leading  His  redeemed  to  the  last 
conflict  with  anti-christian  powers.  The  battle  ensues; 
the  beast  is  taken,  and  with  him  the  false  prophet,  and  are 
"  cast  alive  into  the  lake  of  fire,  burning  with  brimstone." 
The  power  of  the  pope  will  be  suddenly  and  awfully 
broken,  and  no  doubt  by  judgments,  and  the  popish  reli- 
gion destroyed  ;  and  then  those,  or  many  of  them,  who  had 
received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  worshipped  his  image, 
shall  be  slain  by  the  sword  of  Him  whose  name  is  the 


22  mXRODUCTION. 

Word  of  God,  which  sword  proceedeth  out  of  His  mcuth. 
That  is,  they  shall  be  converted,  by  the  Holy  Spirit  accom- 
panying the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  to  be  the  true  and  humble 
disciples  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  book  of  the  Apocalypse,  which  we  are  to  consider 
as  a  Prophet,  always  speaking  in  the  church  of  God,  at 
length  foretells  the  appearing  of  Christ  to  bind  Satan  and 
cast  him  into  the  bottomless  pit.  From  this,  we  are  to 
understand  the  complete  arrest  of  Satanic  influence  to 
follow  upon  the  destruction  of  anti-christian  powers. 
This  suspension  of  Satanic  agency,  and  the  consequent 
reign  of  righteousness  and  peace,  it  is  foretold,  will  con- 
tinue a  thousand  years.  JESUS  will  then  be  present,  and 
will  reign  on  earth.  At  the  expiration  of  the  thousand 
years,  Satan  is  to  be  liberated,  and  will  go  forth  to  deceive 
the  nations.  Gog  and  Magog  denote  the  multitude  that 
will  be  deceived  by  him.  He  shall  gather  them  together 
for  battle.  Their  defeat  and  destruction  are  then  foretold, 
together  with  the  finishing  stroke  to  the  agency  of  Satan 
in  the  world.  The  devil  shall  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire, 
to  be  tormented  forever.  The  great  Being,  from  whose 
face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  shall  flee  away,  will  sit  on 
His  great  white  throne — visible  in  this.  His  final  coming,  to 
all  the  dead  and  the  quick,  small  and  great.  The  books 
will  be  opened,  and  every  one  judged  out  of  the  things 
written  in  the  books,  according  to  their  works.  The 
righteous  will  be  received  up  into  glory,  and  whosoever  is 
not  found  written  in  the  book  of  life  will  be  cast  into  the 
lake  of  fire. 


THE    APOCALYPSE    AS   A    PRACTICAL    BOOK. 

Relating,   as  it  does,  to  one  of  the  most  solemn  and 
important  of  all  subjects — the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

to  this  world  to  confirm,  preserve,  and  consummate  His 
kingdom — its  tendency  must  be  eminently  practical.  A 
persecuted  church  may  justly  regard  it  as  the  richest 
treasure  ;  for  its  voice  to  those  who  are  oppressed  for 
righteousness'  sake,  is,  "  Fear  not,  I  will  come  quickly." 
And  what  encouragement  may  be  derived  from  its  glorious 
disclosures  relative  to  the  future  triumph  of  pure  and  un- 
defiled  religion  !  It  most  fully  teaches  that  there  is  nothing 
visionary  in  the  idea  that  this  world  is  to  be  subjected  to 
the  authority  of  King  Jesus.  The  book  of  Revelation  es- 
pecially affords  encouragement  with  reference  to  those 
nations  in  which  the  propagation  of  the  pure  faith  of  the 
Gospel  is  embarrassed  ;  and  at  present,  perhaps,  wholly 
interdicted,  by  the  power  of  the  Man  of  sin.  It  is  evident 
that  greater  difficulties  seem  to  oppose  the  progress  of 
Christ's  cause  in  R.oman  Catholic  than  in  Pagan  countries. 
The  conquest  of  the  world  to  Jesus  Christ,  so  far  as  the 
heathen  nations  are  concerned,  would  probably  be  regard- 
ed as  comparatively  easy  ;  it  is  in  Roman  Catholic  coun- 
tries that  we  naturally  anticipate,  and  do  actually  encoun- 
ter', the  greatest  difficulty.  Hence,  to  support  the  faith  of 
His  people,  it  seemed  to  be  necessary  that  God  should  give 
in  His  word  great  prominence  to  the  predictions  which  re- 
late to  the  overthrow  of  the  papal  superstition.  Although 
hoary  with  age,  and  the  very  master-piece  of  Satan,  it 
must  fall.  The  Papacy  may,  from  time  to  time,  appear 
to  be  instinct  with  new  life,  and  to  assume  somewhat  of 
the  vigor  of  a  recent  fanaticism.  The  emissaries  of  Rome 
may  follow  fast  in  the  footsteps  of  Protestant  missionaries, 
and  come  up  like  an  invading  army.  But  we  know  that 
He,  whose  name  is  the  Word  of  God,  will  soon  make  bare 
His  holy  arm  ;  and  the  voice  of  the  angel,  having  great 
power,  will  be  heard  to  cry,  "  Babylon,  the  great  is  fallen 
—is  fallen."     Our  duty,  whilst  we  remain  in  the  vine- 


24  INTRODUCTION. 

yard,  is  to  continue  in  believing  prayer,  and  do  all  in  our 
power  to  forestall  and  defeat  the  efforts  of  the  Man  of  sin, 
and  every  other  anti-christian  compact  and  enterprise,  that 
when  they  fall  we  may  participate  in  the  song  of  triumph 
which  shall  reverberate  over  a  renovated  world.  As  the 
Christians  to  whom  John  wrote  might  entreat  the  Lord  to 
come  quickly  for  their  deliverance  from  Jewish  and  Pagan 
persecutors,  and  for  His  own  glory  in  advancing  His  king- 
dom, so  it  is  the  privilege,  as  well  as  the  duty,  of  the 
church  now,  to  unite  in  the  prayer — "  Come,  Lord  Jesus  y 
come  and  subdue  every  foe,  ecclesiastical  or  civil,  that 
dares  to  raise  the  hand  of  rebellion  against  Thy  righteous 
sway." 

This  book  most  emphatically  teaches  that  the  coming 
of  Christ's  kingdom  should  be  the  object  of  intense  desire 
to  the  people  of  God.  Believers,  in  view  of  the  supersti- 
tion, idolatry,  false  religion,  and  unbelief,  which  prevail 
in  the  world,  should  never  faint  in  their  prayers  that  the 
reign  of  Christ  may  speedily  commence.  The  second 
coming  of  Christ  has  always,  ever  since  he  first  promised, 
"Behold  I  come  quickly,"  been  at  hand.  For  two  thou- 
sand years  the  church  has  been  looking  out  for  the  com.ing 
of  Christ;  nor  has  she  looked  in  vain.  Scripture  would 
lead  us  to  be  ever  expecting  Christ ;  and  there  has  always 
been  something  present  in  the  world,  as  some  have  thought, 
to  warrant  the  expectation.  Christ  has  always  been  ex- 
pected by  his  people  ;  and  while  some  who  have  thought 
they  saw  symptoms  of  His  coming  to  judgment  have  been 
disappointed,  others,  who  have  desired  His  spiritual  pre- 
sence, and  have  interpreted  the  providential  events  of  their 
own  times  by  the  light  of  divine  truth,  have  felt  that  their 
prayers  for  His  advent  were  not  unanswered.  Nor  will 
those  who  wait  for  His  coming  now,  to  make  the  desert 
rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose,  look  in  vain.     "  Signs  of 


INTRODUCTION.  25 

the  white  horses"  are  even  now  appearing — bright  sig- 
nals herald  His  approach. 

This  book  also  addresses  a  most  solemn  admonition  to 
churches  and  to  Christians  that  have  fallen  into  error  and 
a  state  of  religious  declension.  It  calls  upon  them,  as  it 
did  certain  of  the  churches  of  Asia  Minor,  to  repent  and 
do  the  first  works,  lest  Christ,  coming  suddenly,  should  re- 
move their  candlestick  out  of  his  place.  It  warns  those 
against  whom  only  a  few  misdeeds  can  be  alleged,  to  pre- 
pare, by  repentance,  for  the  sudden  coming  of  Christ.  It 
admonishes  those  who  do  not  watch,  that  He  will  come  on 
them  as  a  thief.  O,  how  sad  for  a  Christian,  whilst  in  a 
lukewarm,  backslidden  state,  regardless  of  providential 
indications,  to  be  surprised  by  the  coming  and  presence 
of  the  Lord  !  How  offensive  to  the  Saviour  !  He  rebukes  all 
who  are  in  this  state  ;  He  chastens  them  ;  He  commands 
them  to  repent.  He  invites  them  by  the  proffer  of  His  favor  : 
"  Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock  :  if  any  man  hear 
my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  into  him,  and 
will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me."  It  is  not  enough 
that  Christians  use  the  form  of  the  petition,  "  Thy  kingdom 
come,"  if  not  possessed  of  the  spirit  of  Him  who  came 
down  from  heaven  to  seek  and  save  that  which  was  lost. 
An  intense  desire  to  have  His  reign  commence,  who  paid 
the  ransom,  will  lead  us  to  give  some  practical,  tangible 
evidence,  that  our  hearts  are  crying  out  within  us  for  the 
coming  of  the  Lord  with  grace  and  power. 

We  find,  moreover,  in  the  Apocalypse,  ground  for  the 
most  solemn  appeal  to  the  impenitent  and  unbelieving. 
The  coming  of  Christ  is  made  the  ground  of  a  most  ear- 
nest entreaty  to  them  to  prepare  for  it,  by  coming  to  Him 
with  faith.  "  The  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say.  Come.  And 
let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come.  And  let  him  that  is 
athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water 
3 


26  INTRODUCTION. 

of  life  freely."  This  passage,  rightly  interpreted,  is  ani- 
mating, and  even  highly  poetical.  In  the  context,  the  Son 
of  God,  the  Divine  Revealer,  is  the  speaker.  He  repeats 
the  solemn  assurance,  so  often  made,  "  Behold  I  come 
quickly."  Jesus  then  personates  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride, 
or  He  ceases  for  a  moment  to  be  the  speaker,  and  in  the 
pause,  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride,  and  all  that  love  his  ap- 
pearing, and  wait  with  longing  desire  for  the  advent  of 
their  Lord,  take  up  his  oft-repeated  word.  Come,  and  echo 
it  back  to  His  "throne.  First,  the  Holy  Spirit  speaks,  and 
says  to  the  Root  and  the  Offspring  of  David,  and  the  bright 
and  Morning  Star_,  Come.  In  this  prayer,  the  Bride,  the 
ransomed  Church,  purified  by  her  trials,  will  join,  say- 
ing, "Come,  Lord  Jesus."  But  it  ought  to  be  noticed, 
that  this  prayer,  in  its  full  and  complete  sense,  as  calling 
upon  the  Lord  to  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  and  wind 
up  sublunary  affairs,  and  enter  on  His  everlasting  kingdom, 
is  not  to  be  offered  till  the  prophets  are  fulfilled,  the  miorn- 
ing  of  the  resurrection  is  about  to  dawn,  and  the  Son  of 
Man  visibly  to  reappear.  When  that  day  arrives,  the 
Bride,  ready  for  her  espousals,  will  speak  out  with  the 
Spirit,  and  say,  "  Come,  my  Lord,  make  haste,  my  Be- 
loved." And  while  she  is  yet  speaking,  the  opening  gates 
of  heaven  shall  reveal  her  Fair  One  coming  with  ten  thou- 
sand of  His  saints.  "  And  let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come." 
That  is,  let  him  that  heareth  the  call  of  the  Spirit  and  the 
Bride  unite  therein,  for  this  prayer  will  be  a  sure  token 
that  the  Bridegroom  cometh,  and  that  He  is  even  at  the 
door.  Let  all  who  hear  it  arise  and  trim  their  lamps,  and 
go  forth  to  meet  Him.  And  then  what  an  argument  is  de- 
rived from  this  last  prayer  to  urge  an  unbelieving  world 
to  make  immediate  preparation  for  the  approach  of  the 
great  Prince  of  the  kings  of  the  earth.  Before  it  shall  go 
up  from  earth,  let  him  that  is  athirst  for  the  water  of  life, 


iriTRODUCTlON.  27 

and  whosoever  will,  come  and  partake  of  it  freely.  For 
on  the  first  appearance  of  the  Son  of  man  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  the  dispensation  of  the  Spirit  will  close,  and  the 
day  of  grace  will  be  for  ever  at  an  end.  But  although 
the  full  and  complete  sense  of  this  prayer  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  refers  to  His  visible  coming  to  judgment,  it  is,  at  the 
same  time,  true  that  the  prayers  of  God's  people,  and  the 
supplications  of  the  interceding  Spirit,  that  the  latter  day 
glory  may  be  ushered  in,  furnish  a  ground  for  the  most 
urgent  appeal  to  sinful  men  to  attend  to  their  eternal  in- 
terests. It  was  a  warning  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jeri]salem 
and  pagan  Rome,  to  repent  and  betake  themselves  to  the 
water  of  life,  when  the  early  Christians  patiently  submitted 
to  persecution,  evincing  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  speedy 
coming  of  their  Deliverer.  And  hath  not  God  promised 
to  give  to  His  Son  the  heathen  for  his  inheritance  ?  This 
promise  can  not  fail.  His  kingdom  will  come.  The  Gos- 
pel day  draws  near.  Do  not  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say, 
"Come?"  Does  not  every  true  child  of  God,  whether 
within  or  without  the  pale  of  the  visible  church,  on  hear- 
ing the  cry,  say,  "  Come  ;  come.  Lord  Jesus  V  O  then, 
let  him  that  is  athirst  come ;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him 
partake  of  the  water  of  life  freely.  Let  every  man  who 
would  share  in  the  glories  of  Christ's  kingdom  on  earth,  or 
rejoice  over  them  in  heaven,  take  up  the  word,  in  response 
to  the  Saviour's  warning,  and  the  church's  prayer,  and 
say,  "  Lo,  I  come  ;  I  come  to  thee.  Lamb  of  God  !  take 
away  my  sins,  and  remember  me  when  Thou  comest  into 
Thy  kingdom." 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION. 

PART    FIRST. 
THE    INTRODUCTION CHAPS.    I.-III. 

1.  The  title  of  the  book,  ch.  i.  1-3. 

2.  Dedication  to  the  seven  churches,  ch.  i.  4-8. 

3.  A  vision  of  the  Son  of  man,  ch.  i.  9-16. 

4.  Plan  of  the  book  prescribed,  ch.  i.  17-20. 

5.  Epistles  to  the  seven  churches,  chs.  ii.  iii. 

PART    SECOND. 

JEWISH    PERSECUTIONS,     AND     THE     DESTRUCTION     OF     THAT 
POWER CHAPS.    IV. -XI.     1-14. 

1.  Preparatory  vis'on,  ch.  iv. 

2.  A  sealed  book,  an  emblem  of  the  prophecy,  revealed 
to  John,  delivered  to  the  Lamb,  ch.  v. 

3.  The  first  seal  opened,  ch.  vi.  1,  2. 

4.  The  second  seal,  ch.  vi.  3,  4. 

5.  The  third  seal,  ch.  vi.  5,  6. 

6.  The  fourth  seal,  ch.  vi.  7,  8. 

7.  The  fifth  seal,  ch.  vi.  9-11. 

8.  The  sixth  seal,  ch.  vi.  12-17  ;  ch.  vii. 

9.  The  SEVENTH  SEAL,  chs.  viii.-xxii. 

10.  Seven  trumpets  given  to  seven  angels,  ch.  viii.  1-6. 

11.  The  first  trumpet  sounded,  ch.  viii.  7. 

12.  The  second  trumpet,  ch.  viii.  8,  9. 

13.  The  third  trumpet,  ch.  viii.  10,  11. 

14.  The  fourth  trumpet,  ch.  viii.  12. 

15.  The  fifth  trumpet,  or  first  wo,  ch.  ix.  1-12. 


INTRODUCTION.  29 

16.  The  sixth  trumpet,  or  second  wo — the  destruction 
of  the  Jewish  nation  completed,  ch.  ix.  13-21. — ch.  xi. 
1-14. 

PART    THIRD. 

PAGAN    PERSECUTIONS,    AND    THE    END    OF    THE    PAGAN    PER- 
SECUTING   POWER— CHAPS.    XI.     15. XIII.     10. 

1.  The  SEVENTH  TRUMPET,  cli.  xi.  15;  ch.  xxii. 

2.  The  Church  of  Christ,  under  the  figure  of  a  woman 
persecuted  by  the  "  great  red  dragon,"  i.  e.  Pagan  Rome, 
ch.  xii. 

3.  The  beast  with  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  an  em- 
blem of  the  Roman  empire,  ch.  xiii.  1-8. 

4*  The  Pagan  persecuting  power  destroyed,  ch.  xiii.  10. 

PART    FOURTH. 

PAPAL    PERSECUTIONS    AND    ERRORS,    AND    THEIR    END 

|CHAPS.    XIII.    11. XIX. 

1.  The  beast  with  two  horns,  like  a  lamb,  a  symbol 
representing  Papal  Rome,  ch.  xiii.  11-14. 

2.  Succeeds  to  the  dominion  and  tyranny  of  Pagan 
Rome,  ch.  xiii.  15-17. 

3.  The  name  of  this  beast  in  numerals,  ch.  xiii.  18. 

4.  A  vision  of  the  Lamb  on  Mount  Zion,  ch.  xiv.  1-5. 

5.  A  symbolical  representation  of  the  triumph  of  the 
Gospel,  ch.  xiv.  6,  7. 

6.  Judgments  on  Papal  Rome,  ch.  xiv.  8-20. 

7.  Seven  vials  of  the  last  plagues  delivered  to  seven 
angels,  ch.  xv. 

8.  The  angels  commanded  to  pour  them  out,  ch.  xvi,  1. 

9.  The  first  vial  poured  out,  ch.  xvi.  2. 
10.  The  second  vial,  ch.  xvi.  3. 

3* 


30  INTRODUCTION. 

11.  The  third  vial,  ch.  xvi.  4-7. 

12.  The  fourth  vial,  ch.  xvi.  8,  9. 

13.  The  fifth  vial,  ch.  xvi.  10,  11. 

14.  The  sixth  vial,  ch.  xvi.  12-16. 

15.  The  seventh  vial,  ch.  xvi.  17. — ch.  xix. 

16.  Minute  account  of  the  abominations,  impostures^ 
and  cruelty  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  its  final  over- 
throw, chs.  xvii.-xix. 

PART    FIFTH. 

LATTER    DAY    GLORY  ;    BATTLE    OF    GOG   AND    MAGOG  j    FINAL 
JUDGMENT  ;    HEAVENLY    STATE CHAPS.    XX.-XXII. 

1.  The  Millennium,  ch.  xx.  1-6. 

2.  Satan  liberated,  the  battle  of  Gog  and  Magog,  and 
the  end  of  Satan's  power,  ch.  xx.  7-10. 

3.  The  Day  of  Judgment,  ch.  xx.  11-15. 

4.  The  heavenly  state,  ch.  xxi.-xxii.  1-5. 

5.  The  epilogue,  ch.  xxii.  6-21. 


THE    BOOK    OF   REVELATION. 


PART  FIRST. 

THE  INTRODUCTION— CHAPS.  I.-III . 

CHAPTER  I. 

1  The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto  him,  to 
shew  unto  his  servants  things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass ;  and 

2  he  sent  and  signified  it  by  his  angel  unto  his  servant  John :  Who 
bare  recorJ   uf  the  word  of  God,  and  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus 

3  Christ,  and  of  all  things  that  he  saw.  Blessed  i&  he  that  readeth 
and  they  that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things 

4  which  are  written  therein:  for  the  time  is  at  hand.  John  to  the 
seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia :  Grace  be  unto  you,  and  peace, 
from  him  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come ;  and  from 

5  the  seven  Spirits  which  are  before  his  throne:  And  from  Jesus 
Christ,  wJw  is  the  faithful  Witness,  and  the  First-begotten  of  the 
dead,  and  the  Prince  of  the  kings  of  the  earth.     Unto  him  that  loved 

6  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood.  And  hath 
made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father :  to  him  be  glory 

7  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen.  Behold,  he  cometh  with 
clouds;  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  also  which  pierced 
him:  and  all  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him.     Even 

8  so.  Amen.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  tlie  beginning  and  the  ending, 
saith  the  Lord,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come,  the 
Almighty. 

The  title  of  the  book  is  here  given,  viz.,  The  Revela- 
tion,  or   Apocalypse   of   Jesus   Christ.      Its   prophetical 


32  REVELATION. 

character  is  distinctly  stated.  The  name  of  the  writer  is 
then  given ;  and,  as  if  to  prevent  mistake  as  to  the  indivi- 
dual, and  distinguish  him  from  others  bearing  the  same 
name,  he  is  described  as  one  who  had  been  engaged  in  the 
proclamation  of  the  Gospel.  The  language,  who  hare  re- 
cord of  the  word  of  God,  and  of  the  testimony,  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  of  all  things  that  he  saw,  appears  to  be  descrip- 
tive of  that  Apostle  John,  who  had  published  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  defended  the  doctrines  He  taught.  Rea- 
sons have  been  stated  in  the  introduction  in  support  of  the 
opinion  that  the  Gospel  and  Epistles  of  John  were  written 
later  than  the  Apocalypse.  If  those  reasons  have  weight, 
the  most  natural  interpretation  that  can  be  given  to 
the  language  in  question,  is  to  refer  the  "  record  of  the 
Word  of  God"  by  John  to  the  public  testimony  he  bore  in 
preaching. 

The  blessing  pronounced  on  the  hearers  and  readers  of 
this  prophecy,  clearly  imports  that  the  leading  design  of 
this  book  was  to  comfort  the  people  of  God.  The  seven 
churches — situated  in  Asia  Minor  or  proconsular  Asia — to 
whom  it  was  originally  dedicated  and  addressed,  were 
suffering  persecution,  and  therefore  needed  consolation. 
Then  follows  such  a  description  of  our  Lord  as  was  well 
calculated  to  inspire  confidence  in  Him  as  able  to  fulfil  the 
word  He  was  about  to  reveal.  As  a  faithful  witness.  His 
testimony  was  worthy  of  unshaken  reliance ;  as  the  First- 
begotten  of  the  dead,  who  had  power  to  lay  down  His  life 
and  to  take  it  again,  He  possessed  power  to  perform  all  the 
wonders  about  to  be  foretold  ;  and  as  the  Prince  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  He  could  overturn  every  empire  opposed 
to  Him,  and  establish  His  own  on  its  ruins.  How  could  He 
who  had  so  loved  His  people  as  to  give  His  own  blood  to 
wash  them  from  their  sins,  afler  all  leave  them  to  be  des- 
troyed by  His  enemies  ?     No  ;  having  raised  them  to  the 


CHAPTER  I.  33 

dignity  of  being  kings  and  priests  unto  God,  He  would  at 
length  give  them  complete  victory,  and  cause  them  to  reign 
with  Him  forevermore.  In  such  a  Being,  well  might  the 
apostle,  and  the  believers  whom  he  addressed,  have  implicit 
confidence;  and  well  might  they  address  to  Him  divine 
honors — the  glory  and  dominion  of  the  everlasting  God. 

The  prophet  then  solemnly  announces  the  second  coming 
of  Christ — "  Beiiold  He  cometh  ;"  and  adds  a  prayer  for 
His  advent — Eve?i  so,  amen.  The  book  ends  with  the 
same  prayer,  "  I  come  quickly,  amen.  Even  so,  come, 
Lord  Jesus."  The  prayer  of  the  apostle  is  immediately 
responded  to  by  the  Revealer,  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega, 
with  the  assurance, — I  am  He  which  is,  and  which  was, 
and  which  is  to  come.  It  is  not  for  a  moment  to  be  lost 
sight  of,  that  the  coming  of  Christ  is  the  all-important 
theme  to  which  this  Revelation  refers. 

9  I,  John,  who  also  am  your  brother,  and  companion  in  tribulation, 
and  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  in  the  isle 
that  is  called  Patmos,  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony 

10  of  Jesus  Christ.     I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  heard 

11  behind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet.  Saying,  I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  first  and  the  last:  and.  What  thou  seest,  write  in  a 
book,  and  send  it  unto  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia ;  unto 
Ephesus,  and  unto  Smyrna,  and  unto  Pergamos,  and  unto  Thya- 
tira,  and  unto  Sardis,  and  unto  Philadelphia,  and  unto  Laodicea. 

12  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spake  with  me.     And  being 

13  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks  ;  And  in  the  midst  of  the 
seven  candlesticks  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  clothed  with  a 
garment  down  to  the  foot,  and  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden 

14  girdle.     His  head  and  his  hairs  were  white  like  wool,  as  white  as 

15  snow;  and  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire:  And  his  feet  like  unto 
tine  brass,  as  if  they  burned  in  a  furnace ;  and  his  voice  as  the 

16  sound  of  many  waters.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars : 
and  out  of  his  mouth  went  a  sharp  two-edged  sword :  and  his 

17  countenance  was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his  strength.  And  when  I 
saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.     And  he  laid  his  right  hand  upon 

18  me,  saying  unto  me,  Fear  not ;  I  am  the  first  and  the  last :     /  am 


34  REVELATION. 

he  that  hveth,  and  was  dead ;  and  behold,  I  am  alive  for  evermore, 

19  Amen ;  and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death.  Write  the  things 
which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  and  the  things 

20  which  shall  be  hereafter ;  The  mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which 
thou  sawest  in  my  right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candlesticks. 
The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches :  and  the  seven 
candlesticks  which  thou  sawest  are  the  seven  churches. 

The  expression  "  brother  and  companion  in  tribulation," 
which  John  applies  to  himself,  shows  that  he  was  a  sharer 
in  those  persecutions  from  which  his  brethren,  whom  he 
addressed,  were  suffering.  He  had  been  banished  from 
the  provinces  of  the  Roman  empire,  on  account  of  his  zeal 
in  spreading  abroad  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  The 
place  of  his  exile  was  a  small  island  in  the  iEgean  Sea, 
named  Patmos,  now  called  Patmosa.  Here,  in  this  desert 
place,  on  the  Lord's  Day,  i.  e.  the  Christian  Sabbath,  he 
heard  the  voice  of  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  commanding  him 
to  write  what  he  saw  in  a  book,  and  to  send  it  to  seven 
churches  in  Asia,  the  names  of  which  were  designated. 
Then  follows  a  sublime  description  of  our  Lord,  as  He  ap- 
peared in  the  vision  which  was  granted  to  John.  He  saw 
seven  golden  candlesticks,  and  in  the  midst  of  them  One 
like  unto  the  Son  of  man.  He  had  in  His  right  hand 
seven  stars,  and  His  countenance  was  as  the  sun  shineth 
in  his  strength.  John  was  overpowered  by  the  vision,  and 
fell  at  His  feet  as  dead.  But  his  fear  was  quelled  by  his 
being  assured  that  this  great  Being,  who  now  appeared  in 
such  glorious  majesty,  was  the  same  who  died  on  the  cross, 
on  whose  bosom  "the  beloved  disciple"  had  once  been 
permitted  to  lean.  What  emotions  must  have  been  awak- 
ened in  the  apostle's  mind  by  the  expression — I  am  He 
that  Uveili  and  was  dead  f  Being  reassured,  he  was  com- 
manded to  write — 1.  The  things  which  he  had  seen ;  i.  e, 
the  vision  of  the  Son  of  man,  conferring  on  him  the  au- 


CHAPTER  I.  35 

.hority  he  assumes  in  this  book  as  a  prophet.  2.  The 
things  which  are;  i.  e.  the  present  state  of  the  church, 
particularly  its  dangers,  and  the  existing  state  of  the  Jew- 
ish and  Pagan  world.  3.  The  things  that  shall  be  here- 
after ;  i.  e.  the  destruction  of  anti-Christian  powers,  and 
the  future  state  of  the  church.  This  very  natural  division 
of  this  book  is  proof  that  it  was  not  written  without  a 
method  or  plan.  No  book,  in  the  whole  Scripture,  will  be 
found  to  be  more  methodical  than  the  Apocalypse. 


CHAPTER  11. 

1  Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Ephesus  write:  These  things 
aaithhe  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand,  who  walketh 

2  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks ;  I  know  thy  works, 
and  thy  labour,  and  thy  patience,  and  how  thou  canst  not  bear  them 
which  are  evil :  and  thou  hast  tried  them  which  say  they  are  apostles, 

3  and  are  not ;  and  hast  found  them  liars :  And  hast  borne,  and  hast 
patience,  and  for  my  name's  sake  hast  laboured,  and  hast  not  fainted. 

4  Nevertheless,  I  have  somewhat  against  thee,  because  thou  hast  left 

5  thy  first  love.  Remember  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen,  and 
repent,  and  do  the  first  works  :  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly, 
and  will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  his  place,  except  thou  repent. 

6  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  deeds  of  the  Nicolaitanes, 

7  which  I  also  hate.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches;  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give 
to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of 
God. 

This  and  the  succeeding  chapter,  are  entirely  taken  up 
with  the  special  epistles  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia. 
These  churches  were  situated  in  the  province  of  Lydia, 
to  the  east  of  the  Mgean  Sea.  They  are  supposed  to  have 
been  planted  by  the  apostle  Paul  and  his  associates.  It  is 
not  impossible,  however,  that — upon  the  dispersion  of 
Christians  which  took  place  at  the  death  of  Stephen — a 
knowledge  of  Christianity  might  have  been  carried  into 
these  parts.  From  the  proximity  of  the  places,  it  is 
natural  to  infer  that  they  were  all  established  at  about  the 
same  time.  At  the  time  John  addressed  them,  some  of 
these  churches,  it  appears,  had  fallen  into  a  corrupt  and 
lukewarm  state,  especially  those  at  Sardis,  Thyatira,  and 
Laodicea.  But  the  apostle  does  not  address  equally  severe 
rebuke  to  those  at  Ephesus  and  Pergamos ;  and  he  ad- 


CHAPTER   II.  37 

dresses  nothing  but  commendation  to  those  at  Smyrna  and 
Philadelphia.  It  is  obvious  from  his  epistles,  that  they 
were  all  of  them  exposed  to,  or  actually  suffering  perse- 
cution. He  exhorts  them  to  continue  steadfast  in  that 
which  was  true  and  good,  to  reject  false  teachers,  and  to 
repent  of  the  sins  into  which  they  had  fallen  :  and  with 
these  exhortations  are  mingled  such  consolations  as  might 
be  drawn  from  the  certainty  of  their  speedy  deliverance. 

To  the  church  at  Ephesus,  John  is  directed  by  Him  who 
holdeth  the  seven  stars,  and  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the 
golden  candlesticks,  to  address  words  of  rebuke,  as  well 
as  commendation.  They  had  forsaken  their  first  love. 
Perhaps  it  had  been  the  effect  of  the  tribulations  which 
vexed  them  to  embitter  their  spirits.  The  apostle  exhorts 
them  to  repent,  and  he  makes  the  speedy  coming  of  Christ 
the  ground  for  enforcmg  his  exhortation.  He  urges  them 
to  persevere  by  the  promise  of  everlasting  felicity  in  the 
paradise  of  God. 

8  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna,  write ;  These  things 

9  saith  the  first  and  the  last,  which  was  dead,  and  is  alive:  I  know 
thy  works,  and  tribulation,  and  poverty,  (but  thou  art  rich,)  and  / 
know  the  blasphemy  of  them  which  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not, 

10  but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan.  Fear  none  of  those  things  which 
thou  shalt  suffer.  Behold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into 
prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried ;  and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days. 
Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  hfe. 

11  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches;  He  that  overcometh,  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second 
death. 

The  living  Redeemer,  who  claims  to  be  the  First  and 
the  Last — that  is,  the  Almighty — able  to  fulfil  his  promises, 
and  accomplish  his  threatenings,  assures  believers  at 
Smyrna,  that  He  was  well  acquainted  with  their  works, 
their  tribulation,  and  their  poverty.  He  knew,  also,  the 
hypocrisy  and  blasphemy  of  those  who  professed  to  belong 

4 


38  REVELATION. 

to  the  true  Israel,  who  were  the  agents  ia  persecuting  at 
that  particular  time.  He  exhorts  His  servants  not  to  yield 
to  despondency,  in  view  of  their  sufferings,  or  the  more 
trying  ones  that  awaited  them.  Some  of  them  were  to  be 
cast  into  prison,  for  a  short  time.  The  approaching  Sa- 
viour exhorts  them  not  to  shrink  even  from  martyrdom  it- 
self; and  holds  out  to  the  faithful  a  crown  of  life.  They 
might  suffer  the  martyr's  death,  but  the  second  death  could 
never  inflict  any  injury  on  them. 

12  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamos  write ;  These  things 

13  saith  he  which  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges ;  I  know  thy 
works,  and  where  thou  dwellest,  even  where  Satan's  seat  is :  and 
thou  holdest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  faith,  even  in 
those  days  wherein  Antipas  loas  my  faithful  martyr,  who  was  slain 

14  among  you,  where  Satan  dwelleth.  But  I  have  a  few  things  against 
thee,  because  thou  hast  there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam, 
who  taught  Balalc  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  children  of 
Israel,  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication. 

15  So  hast  thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes, 

16  which  thing  I  hate.     Repent ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly, 

17  and  will  fight  against  them  with  the  sword  of  my  mouth.  He  that 
hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches : 
To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and 
will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name,  written, 
which  no  man  knoweth,  saving  he  that  recciveth  it. 

Pergamos,  it  would  appear,  was  a  place  of  exceeding 
wickedness.  Satan  is  represented  as  holding  his  court 
there.  The  meaning  is,  that  h§  was  peculiarly  successful 
in  exciting  men  to  hatred  and  crimes.  Antipas,  a  Chris- 
tian disciple,  had  suffered  the  death  of  a  faithful  martyr. 
Heresy  had  gained  a  footing  in  the  church ;  there  were 
some  who  held  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  and  some  who  held 
the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes — doctrines  that  were  of  an 
exceedingly  corrupt  and  licentious  nature.  True  religion 
was,  consequently,  in  a  very  low  and  languishing  condi^ 


CHAPTER  II.  39 

tion.  The  members  of  the  church  are,  therefore,  solemnly- 
warned — by  Him  who  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two 
edges — that  unless  they  speedily  repented.  He  would  come 
and  fight  against  them.  But  to  all  who  should  remain 
faithful,  in  spite  of  surrounding  evil  influences,  and  thus 
overcome  spiritual  enemies,  a  promise  is  made  of  everlast- 
ing victory  and  reward  in  heaven.  The  coming  of  Christ, 
whilst  it  was  a  source  of  consolation  to  sincere  believers, 
conveyed  a  most  fearful  warning  to  those  who  had  embra- 
ced pernicious  doctrines,  and  fallen  into  vicious  practices. 

18  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Thyatira  write ;  These  things 
saith  the  Son  of  God,  who  hath  his  eyes  hke  unto  a  flame  of  fire, 

19  and  his  feet  are  like  fine  brass ;  I  know  thy  works,  and  charity, 
and  service,  and  faith,  and  thy  patience,  and  thy  works;  and  the  last 

20  to  be  more  than  the  first.  Notwithstanding,  I  have  a  few  things 
against  thee,  because  thou  sufferest  that  woman  Jezebel,  which 
calleth  herself  a  prophetess,  to  teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to 

21  commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols.  And  I 
gave  her  space  to  repent  of  her  fornication,  and  she  repented  not. 

22  Behold,  I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed,  and  them  that  commit  adultery 
with  her  into  great  tribulation,  except  they  repent  of  their  deeds. 

23  And  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death  ;  and  all  the  churches  shall 
know  that  I  am  he  which  searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts :  and  I 

24  will  give  unto  every  one  of  you  according  to  your  works.  But 
unto  you,  I  say,  and  unto  the  rest  in  Thyatira,  As  many  as  have  not 
this  doctrine,  and  which  have  not  known  the  depths  of  Satan,  as 

25  they  speak;  I  will  put  upon  you  none  other  burden:     But  that 

26  which  ye  have  already/,  hold  fast  till  I  come.  And  he  that  over- 
cometh,  and  keepeth  my  works  unto  the  end,  to  him  will  I  give 

27  power  over  the  nations ;  And  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of 
iron  ;  (as  the  vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers  ;) 

28  even  as  I  received  of  my  Father.     And  I  will  give  him  the  morning- 

29  star.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto 
the  churches. 

By  "  that  woman  Jezebel"  seems  to  be  meant  a  person 
who  had  been  permitted  to  promulgate  doctrines  of  a  very 
evil  tendency,  similar  to  those  which  prevailed,  to  some 


40  REVELATION. 

extent,  at  Ephesus  and  Pergamos.  The  destruction  of 
this  woman  and  of  her  disciples  is  foretold  ;  and  those  who 
had  remained  faithful  in  the  church  are  exhorted  to  con- 
tinue in  their  faith,  charity,  and  patience,  till  the  coming 
of  Christ.  The  exhortation,  hold  fast  till  I  come,  is  en- 
forced by  the  promise  that  the  persecuting  powers  should 
be  overthrown,  even  as  an  earthen  vessel  is  shivered  when 
struck  by  a  rod  of  iron,  and  that  all  those  in  the  church 
who  remained  steadfast  to  the  end  of  life,  should  be  exalted 
to  honor  and  resplendent  glory  in  heaven. 


CHAPTER  III. 

1  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  write ;  These  thmgs 
saith  he  that  hath  the  seven  Spirits  of  God,  and  the  seven  stars ;  I 
knovv^  thy  works,  that  thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  Hvest,  and  art  dead, 

2  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things  which  remain,  that  are  ready 

3  to  die  :  for  I  have  not  found  thy  works  perfect  before  God.  Remem- 
ber, therefore,  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard,  and  hold  fast,  and 
repent.  If  therefore  thou  shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a 
thief,  and  thou  shalt  not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee. 

4  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis  which  have  not  defiled  their 
garments ;   and  they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white :    for  they  are 

5  worthy.  He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white 
raiment ;  and  I  will  not  blot  out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life, 
but  I  will  confess  his  name  before  my  Father,  and  before  his  angels. 

6  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches. 

The  expression,  thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  and 
art  dead,  clearly  indicates  that  religion  was  in  a  very- 
declining  state  in  the  church  at  Sardis.  Those  who  had 
fallen  into  this  cold  and  lifeless  state  are  exhorted  to  be 
watchful,  and  strengthen  the  few  remaining  things  pertain- 
ing to  Christian  character  that  seemed  just  ready  to  expire. 
They  are  exhorted  to  repent  and  to  return  to  the  practice 
of  their  religious  duties,  in  order  that  they  might  not  be 
surprised  by  the  unexpected  coming  of  the  Saviour. 
There  were  a  few  in  Sardis  who  had  kept  themselves  pure 
from  the  prevailing  spiritual  deadness  and  corruption.  To 
such,  the  most  precious  promises  are  given.  Having  loved 
purity,  it  is  promised  that  they  shall  be  made  forever  holy 
in  heaven,  shall  walk  with  their  Redeemer  clothed  in  white 
garments,  and  thus  be  owned  by  Him  in  the  presence  of 
the  angelic  host. 

4* 


42  REVELATION. 

7  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  write ;  These  things 
saith  he  that  is  holy,  he  that  is  true,  he  that  hath  the  key  of  David, 
he  that  opencth,  and  no  man  shutteth ;  and  shutteth,  and  no  man 

8  opcneth  :  I  know  thy  works :  behold,  I  have  set  before  thee  an 
open  door,  and  no  man  can  shut  it :  for  thou  hast  a  little  strength, 

9  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied  my  name.  Behold,  I 
will  make  them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan,  which  say  they  are 
Jews,  and  are  not,  but  do  lie;  behold,  I  will  make  them  to  come  and 

10  worship  before  thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I  have  loved  thee.  Be- 
cause thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my  patience,  I  also  will  keep  thee 
from  the  hour  of  temptation,  which  shall  come  upon  all  the  world, 

n   to  try  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth.     Behold,  I  come  quickly : 

12  hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown.  Him 
that  overcometh,  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  "God,  and 
he  shall  go  no  more  out :  and  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  my 
God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  ukich  is  new  Jerusalem, 
which  Cometh  down  out  of  heaven  from  my  God  :  and  /  uill  xcrite 

13  upon  him  my  new  name.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 

Very  remarkable  and  distinguishing  blessings  are  here 
promised  to  the  church  in  Philadelphia,  They  had  kept 
the  Saviour's  word,  and  had  not  denied  His  name ;  and  it 
was  therefore  promised  to  them,  that  their  Jewish  enemies 
should  be  put  to  confasion  ;  and  they  should,  in  some  re- 
markable manner,  be  delivered  from  the  persecutions  that 
were  then  raging,  or  were  about  to  rage,  in  the  earth. 
The  language,  I  will  keep  thee  from  the  liour  of  temptuijon, 
or  trial,  may  not  mean  that  they  were  to  be  wholly  exempt 
from  persecutions ;  but  rather  that  they  would  experience 
such  remarkable  deliverance  as  should  constrain  their 
persecutors  to  acknowledge  a  divine  interposition.  To 
animate  them  in  holding  fast  to  their  confession  of  Him,  the 
Saviour  says,  "Behold  I  come  quickly;"  and  promises  to 
all  that  persevere  to  the  end,  an  everlasting  habitation  in 
the  New  Jerusalem  on  high. 

14  And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans  write ;  These 
things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  Witness,  the  beginning 


CHAPTER  III.  43 

15  of  the  creation  of  God.     I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither 

16  cold  nor  hot :  I  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot.  So  then,  because  thou 
art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of 

17  my  mouth :  Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and  increased  with 
goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing ;  and  knowest  not  that  thou  art 

18  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor  and  blind,  and  naked :  I  coun- 
sel thee  to  buy  of  me  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayest  be 
rich  ;  and  white  raiment,  that  thou  mayest  be  clothed,  and  tlmt  the 
shame  of  thy  nakedness  do  not  appear ;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with 

19  eye-salve,  that  thou  mayest  see.     As  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and 

20  chasten :  be  zealous  therefore,  and  repent.  Behold,  I  stand  at  the 
door,  and  knock :  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I 

21  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me.  To 
him  that  overconieth  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even 
as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne. 

22  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  m:ito  the 
churches, 

Laodicea  was  a  place  of  great  voluptuousness.  The 
inhabitants  appear  to  have  been  devoted  to  pleasure.  The 
ruins  of  amphitheatres,  and  other  costly  structures,  suffi- 
ciently attest  the  wealth,  of  the  place.  The  church  there 
had  evidently  become  infected  by  the  prevailing  worldli- 
ness.  Perhaps  there  is  no  sin  to  which  Christians  in 
cities,  where  affluence  affords  the  means  of  expensive 
pleasures,  are  more  exposed.  It  operates  by  an  insidious, 
and,  therefore,  a  more  dangerous  influence.  The  Laodi- 
cean Christians  had  become  lukewarm  and  indifferent. 
This  state  was  exceedingly  displeasing  to  Christ,  as  indi- 
cated by  the  threatening  rebuke — /  will  spue  thee  out  of 
my  mouth.  They  are  exhorted  to  repent,  and  to  become 
zealous  in  Christ's  cause,  and  thus  to  be  prepared  to  give 
Him  a  welcome  reception.  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door 
and  knock."  It  is  promised  to  as  many  as  should  over- 
come in  the  trials  that  were  about  to  come  on  all  the 
world,  that  they  should  reign  with  God  in  heaven. 


PART  SECOND. 

JEWISH    PERSECUTIONS,    AND    THE    DESTRUCTION    OF    JERUSA- 
LEBI CHAPS.    IV. XI.    1-14. 

The  apostle  was  as  much  commanded  to  address  the 
things  revealed  in  the  residue  of  this  book  to  the  churches 
of  Asia,  as  the  respective  epistles,  or  messages,  addressed 
to  them  by  name.  It  is  important  that  this  should  not  be 
lost  sight  of,  if  we  would  arrive  at  a  true  interpretation. 
But  Christians,  in  all  ages,  will  find  these  revelations 
equally  suited  lo  their  instruction  and  consolation.  Hav- 
ing exhorted  and  warned  these  churches,  and  given  prec- 
ious promises  to  as  many  as  should  prove  faithful,  he 
enters  more  particularly  on  the  work  of  comforting  and 
fortifying  their  minds — under  their  existing  tribulations, 
and  the  greater  ones  that  awaited  them — by  foretelling  the 
utter  destruction  of  all  anti-Christian  powers.  And  first, 
the  Jewish  persecuting  power  must  fall. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


1  After  tliis  I  looked,  and  behold,  a  door  teas  opened  in  heaven :  and 
the  first  voice  which  I  heard,  was  as  it  were  of  a  trumpet  talking 
with  me ;  which  said,  Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  shew  thee  things 

2  which  must  be  hereafter.  And  immediately  I  was  in  the  Spirit: 
and  behold,  a  throne  was  set  in  heaven,  and  one  sat  on  the  throne. 

3  And  he  that  sat  was  to  look  upon  hkc  a  jai^per  and  a  sardine  stone : 
and  there  vxis  a  rainbow  round  about  the  throne  in  sight  like  unto  an 


CHAPTER  IV.  45 

4  emerald.  And  round  about  the  throne  were  four  and  twenty  seats ; 
and  upon  the  seats  I  saw  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in 

5  white  raiment :  and  they  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold.  And 
out  of  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings,  and  thunderings,  and  voices 
And  there  were  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which 

6  are  the  seven  Spirits  of  God.  And  before  the  throne  there  was  a  sea 
of  glass  like  unto  crystal :  And  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and 
round  about  the  throne,  icere  four  beasts  full  of  eyes  before  and  be- 

7  hind.  And  the  first  beast  was  like  a  lion,  and  the  second  beast  like 
a  calf,  and  the  third  beast  had  a  face  as  a  man,  and  the  fourth  beast 

8  was  like  a  flying  eagle.  And  the  four  beasts  had  each  of  them  six 
wings  about  him  ;  and  they  were  full  of  eyes  within :  and  they  rest 
not  day  and  night,  saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God  Almighty, 

9  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come.  And  when  those  beasts  give 
glory,  and  honour  and  thanks  to  him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  who 

10  liveth  for  ever  and  ever.  The  four  and  twenty  elders  fall  down  be- 
fore him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worship  him  that  liveth  for 
ever  and  ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the   throne,  saying, 

11  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honour,  and  power: 
for  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and 
were  created. 

In  this  chapter  the  most  sublime  preparation  is  made  for 
the  visions  and  revelations  about  to  follow.  The  scene 
represented  to  the  exile  of  Patmos  was  that  of  a  door 
opened  in  heaven,  from  whence  a  voice  issued  forth — 
"Come  up  hither."  Immediately  he  was  in  the  Spirit, 
and  had  a  vision  of  the  glorious  throne  of  the  Deity,  sur- 
rounded by  the  heavenly  worshippers.  Before  it  burned 
•seven  lamps  of  fire,  and  before  it  also  was  a  sea  of  glass, 
like  crystal.  There  was  a  rainbow  round  about  the  throne, 
in  appearance  like  an  emerald  -,  and  out  of  it  issued  light- 
nings, thunderings,  and  voices.  And  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne,  and  round  about  it,  there  were  four  living  creatures. 
These  living  creatures  are  minutely  described.  Their 
employment,  and  that  of  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  was 
to  celebrate  the  great  and  wonderful  works  of  creation  and 
providence. 


CHAPTER  V. 

1  And  I  saw  in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne  a  book 

2  written  within  and  on  the  back  side,  sealed  witii  seven  seals.  And 
I  saw  a  strong  angel  proclaiming  with  a  loud  voice,  Who  is  worthy 

3  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seals  thereof?  And  no  man  in 
heaven,  nor  in  earth,  neither  under  the  earth,  was  able  to  open  the 

4  book,  neither  to  look  thereon.  And  I  wept  much,  because  no  man 
was  found  worthy  to  open,  and  to  read  the  book,  neither  to  look 

5  thereon.  And  one  of  the  elders  saith  unto  me.  Weep  not ;  behold 
the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  the  Root  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to 

G  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals  thereof.  And  I  beheld, 
and  lo,  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  of  the  four  beasts,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  elders,  stood  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven 
horns,  and  seven  eyes,  which  arc  the  seven  Spirits  of  God  sent  forth 

7  into  all  the  earth.     And  he  came  and  took  the  book  out  of  the  right 

8  hand  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  throne.  And  when  he  had  taken 
the  book,  the  four  beasts,  and  four  and  twenty  elders  feJi  down  be- 
fore the  Lamb,  having  every  one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials 

9  full  of  odours,  which  are  the  prayers  of  saints.  And  they  sung  a 
new  song,  saying,  Tliou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open 
the  seals  thereof:  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God 
by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred,   and  tongue,  and  people,   and 

10  nation;     And  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests:  and 

11  we  shall  reign  on  the  eartli.  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice 
of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  the  beasts,  and  the 
elders:   and   the   number  of  them  was   ten  thousand  times  ten 

12  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands;  Saying  with  a  loud  voice, 
Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power  and  riches  and 

13  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing.  And 
every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the 
earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heai-d  I 
saying,  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  him 
that  sittcth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever. 

14  And  the  four  beasts  said,  Amen.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders 
fell  down  and  worshipped  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever. 

A  book  is  represented  as  held  in  the  right  hand  of  the 


CHAPTER  V.  47 

great  Being  who  sat  on  the  throne.  It  is  a  beautiful  and 
impressive  emblem  to  regard  future  events  as  registered  in 
a  sealed  book.  In  this  book  was  the  whole  prophecy 
REVEALED  TO  JoHN.  A  Strong  angel  inquires  for  one 
worthy  to  unroll  this  book.  But  no  man  was  found  able 
or  worthy  to  open  it.  On  this  account,  such  had  been  the 
expectation  awakened  in  the  mind  of  the  Apocalyptist,  he 
could  not  refrain  from  bitter  weeping.  But  one  of  the 
elders  said  to  him,  "  weep  not ;"  and  assured  him  that 
the  Lamb  that  was  once  slain,  now  the  Lion  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah — i.  e.  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ — had  power  to  open 
the  book.  And  when  this  glorious  Personage  came  and 
took  the  book,  there  followed  a  scene  of  exultation  and 
rapture  in  which  the  whole  heavenly  host  participated. 
The  four  living  creatures,  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders, 
fell  down  before  the  Lamb.  Every  one  of  them  had 
harps  and  golden  vials,  full  of  odors,  which  are  said  to  be 
the  prayers  of  the  Saints ;  and  the  great  burden  of  these 
prayers,  as  we  learn  from  this  book,  was  that  Christ  would 
fulfil  his  promise  to  come  and  destroy  the  power  of  their 
enemies.  Prostrate  before  the  Lamb,  they  sung  a  new 
song  in  honor  of  Him  who  had  redeemed  them  to  God  by 
His  blood.  To  this  song  myriads  of  angels  responded,  and 
the  voices  of  the  angelic  and  redeemed  host  rose  in  one  grand 
chorus.  Worthy  IS  the  Lamb  ;  and  anon  the  whole  universe 
echoes  and  re-echoes  the  sound — Worthy  the  Lamb. 

Such  was  the  magnificent,  imposing  preparation  made 
to  introduce  the  sublime  and  important  predictions  that 
were  to  follow.  And  now  commences  the  disclosure  of  those 
great  events,  shortly  to  come  to  pass,  revealed  to  the  seven 
churches  to  give  them  fortitude  and  courage  under  their 
present  afflictions,  and  such  as  awaited  them,  as  well  as  to 
strengthen  the  faith  and  confirm  the  hope  of  the  people  of 
God,  in  all  ages. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

1  And  I  saw  when  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the  seals,  and  I  heard,  as 
it  were  the  noise  of  thunder,  one  of  the  four  beasts,  saying,  Come 

2  and  see.  And  I  saw,  and  behold,  a  white  horse:  and  he  that  sat  on 
him  had  a  bow ;  and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him :  and  he  went 
forth  conquering,  and  to  conquer. 

Bishop  Newton  understands  this  to  be  a  prediction  of 
Vespasian  and  Titus,  who  ravaged  Judea  and  destroyed 
Jerusalem.  Others,  who  date  this  book  at  a  later  period, 
refer  this  prediction  to  the  victories  of  the  emperor  Trajan  : 
but  these  victories,  it  is  well  known,  had  no  immediate 
connexion  with  the  church,  either  in  the  way  of*  dissemi- 
nating the  Gospel,  or  of  defeating  its  propagation  ;  and 
why,  therefore,  should  they  be  foretold  in  a  prophecy 
desi";ned  to  animate  the  faith,  and  console  the  minds  of 
persecuted  Christians  ?  We  are  not  to  look  in  the  pro- 
phetic Scriptures  for  predictions  relating  to  earthly  sove- 
reigns, or  even  the  most  powerful  empires,  except  as  they 
stand  connected  with  the  prosperous  or  adverse  state  of  the 
church,  present  or  future.  But  it  is  fatal  to  both  these 
schemes  that  the  emblem  of  a  white  horse  is  not  adapted 
to  warriors  and  persecutors.  White  horses  were  not  com. 
monly  chosen  for  war,  because  they  would  make  their 
riders  more  conspicuous  marks  to  an  enemy. 

The  emblem  is  far  better  adapted  to  the  mild  and  benef- 
icent victories  of  Christ,  by  His  word  and  Spirit,  in  the 
conversion  of  sinners.  This  part  of  the  prophecy  must, 
therefore,  be  understood  as  retrogressive  ;  a  peculiarity 
very  natural,  and  not  uncommon,  in  the  prophetic  Scrip, 
tures,  where  a  series  of  events  is  foretold.  It  refers  to  the 
Redeemer  of  the  world,  at  his  coming  in  human  flesh,  to 


CHAPTER  VI.  49 

accomplish  the  great  atoning  work.  Upon  His  head  is  a 
crown,  not  the  helmet  of  the  luarrior.  There  can  be  no 
objection,  however,  to  fixing  the  date  of  this  seal  from  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  was  ful- 
filled, and  those  signal  triumphs  of  Divine  grace,  by  which 
so  many  thousands  were  speedily  converted  to  Christ,  un- 
der the  labors  of  the  apostles  and  first  ministers,  com- 
menced. "  He  went  forth  conquering,  and  to  conquer." 
Peruse  the  account  of  the  success  which  attended  the 
labors  of  Paul,  of  Peter,  of  Barnabas,  and  ApoUos,  and 
other  apostles  and  their  coadjutors,  recorded  in  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles.  It  was  distinctly  foretold  by  our  Lord,  as 
one  of  the  signs  of  the  approaching  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem, that  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  should  first  be 
preached  in  all  the  world  ;  "  then  shall  the  end  come :" 
Matt.  xxiv.  14.  Throughout  the  Roman  empire,  and 
wherever  Jews  were  to  be  found,  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the 
then  known  world,  the  Gospel  had  been  published  anterior 
to  this  threatened  destruction. 

3  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I  heard  the  second  beast 

4  say,  Come  and  see.  And  there  went  out  another  horse  that  was  red : 
and  power  was  given  to  him  that  sat  thereon  to  take  peace  from  the 
earth,  and  that  they  should  kill  one  another :  and  there  was  given 
unto  him  a  great  sword. 

The  emblem  of  a  red  or  fire-colored  horse  denotes  con- 
tention and  persecution.  Power  was  given  to  his  rider  to 
take  peace  from  the  earth.  Our  Saviour  taught  His  disci- 
ples that  the  effect  of  His  Gospel— by  the  opposition  it 
would  encounter — would  be  to  take  peace  from  the  earth. 
He  came  not  to  send  peace,  but  a  sword.  The  force  of 
the  expression,  in  the  original,  translated  to  take  peace 
from  the  earth,  and  that  they  should  kill  one  another,  is — 
that  variance,  strife,  and  persecution,  the  effect  of  a  fiery 
zeal,  without  charity,  was  to  prevail — not  with  nations  as 
5 


50  REVELATION. 

such,  but  among  brethren  and  companions — the  spirit  of 
Christianity  having  degenerated,  or  being  wholly  lost. 
This  view  of  what  is  disclosed  by  the  second  seal,  corres- 
ponds fully  with  another  of  those  signs  which  our  Lord 
foretold  would  indicate  that  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
was  at  hand.  "  Then  shall  many  be  offended,  and  shall 
betray  one  another  and  hate  one  another:"  Matt.  xxiv.  10. 
Paul,  in  2  Tim.,  complains  of  Demas  and  Phygellus,  and 
Hermogenes,  and  many  others,  who  turned  away  from 
him  ;  and  that  when  he  first  appeared  at  the  bar  of  Nero, 
"  no  man  stood  with  him,  but  all  forsook  him."  And  in 
the  epistle  to  the  Philippians,  he  mentions  those  who  were 
so  devoid  of  brotherly  kindness,  and  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity, that  they  even  preached  Christ  of  contention,  sup- 
posing to  add  affliction  to  his  bonds.  And  Tacitus,  (Ann. 
15,  c.  44,)  speaking  of  the  persecution  by  Nero,  says  of 
Christians,  "  At  first,  those  who  were  seized  confessed  their 
sect ;  and  then,  by  their  indication,  a  great  multitude  were 
convicted."  At  a  later  period,  in  the  language  of  another 
pagan  writer,  "  the  hatred  of  Christians  (or  those  who 
were  so  called)  to  each  other,  exceeded  the  fury  of  wild 
beasts  against  men."  To  some  extent  this  might  have 
been  true,  prior  to  and  during  the  persecution  by  Nero. 
He  would,  no  doubt,  employ  the  informers,  spoken  of  by 
Tacitus,  and  apostates,  as  the  best  instruments  for  accom- 
plishing his  cruel  purposes. 

5  And  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  I  heard  the  third  beast  say, 
Come  and  see.     And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  black  horse ;  and  he  that 

6  sat  on  him  had  a  pair  of  balances  in  his  hand.  And  I  heard  a  voice 
in  the  midst  of  the  four  beasts  say,  A  measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny, 
and  three  measures  of  barley  for  a  penny ;  and  see  thou  hurt  not  the 
oil  and  the  wine. 

The  black  horse  was  an  emblem  of  famine,  and  the 
balances  and  measures,  importing  that  food  was  to  be  sold 


CHAPTER  VI.  51 

by  weight,  and  in  small  quantities,  were  emblematical  of  a 
scarcity  of  provisions.  Our  Saviour  predicted  famines  as 
one  of  the  signs  of  the  speedy  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
"  And  there  shall  be  famines  :"  Matt.  xxiv.  7.  The  fa- 
mine foretold  (Acts  xi.  28-30),  which  took  place  in  the 
reign  of  Claudius,  extended  all  over  Judea,  and  lasted 
with  severity  several  years.  Josephus  (Antiq.  B.  20,  ii.  6) 
gives  a  particular  account  of  this  famine.  There  was 
another  famine,  in  the  tenth  or  eleventh  year  of  the  same 
reign,  which  is  mentioned  by  Tacitus  (Ann.  Lib.  12,  43), 
and  by  Suetonius  (Claud,  18). 

7  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fourth  seal,  I  heard  the  voice  of  the 

8  fourth  beast  say,  Come  and  see.  And  I  looked,  and  behold,  a  pale 
horse .  and  his  name  that  sat  on  him  was  Death,  and  hell  followed 
with  him.  And  power  was  given  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of 
the  earth,  to  kill  with  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with  death,  and 
with  the  beasts  of  the  earth. 

The  symbols  here  employed  strikingly  denote  a  period 
of  great  slaughter  and  devastation.  There  is  a  grouping 
here  of  the  four  great  calamities.  War,  Pestilence, 
Famine,  and  Wild  Beasts.  In  the  prophecy  of  our  Sa- 
viour (Matt.  xxiv.  6,  7),  "  earthquakes"  are  added  to  this 
catalogue  of  the  divine  judgments.  1.  Power  was  given 
to  the  rider  of  the  pale  horse,  whose  name  was  Death,  "  to 
kill  with  the  sword."  A  spirit  of  rebellion  had,  for  a 
number  of  years,  been  gaining  ground  among  the  Jews  ; 
but  when  the  emperor  Caligula  commanded  his  statue  to 
be  set  up  in  the  temple,  the  exasperation  of  the  Jews 
seemed  to  know  no  bounds.  They  neglected  the  cultiva- 
tion of  their  lands,  and  flocked  in  crowds  to  the  cities. 
This  spirit  of  insubordination  continued,  and  seemed  to 
gain  ground  during  the  reign  of  Claudius.  Acts  of  vio- 
lence began  to  be  perpetrated.  In  such  cities  as  Alexan- 
dria, Damascus,  Csesarea,  and  Tyre,  where  there  was  a 


53  REVELATION. 

mixed    population   of  Jews   and   Pagans,    fierce   contests 
arose,  and  dreadful  slaughter  ensued.     "  The  disorders," 
remarks  Josephus,  (Wars,  B.  2,  xviii.  2,)  "  all  over  Syria 
were  terrible.     The  days  were  spent  in  slaughter,  and  the 
nights  in  terror."     At  length  the  standard  of  rebellion  was 
raised    at   Jerusalem,    against   the    Roman    Prefect ;  and 
speedily  the  Roman  army  commenced  the  work  of  chas- 
tisement and  devastation  among  the  cities  and  villages  of 
Palestine.     And  already  might  be  discerned  the  premoni- 
tions  of    those    agitations    and    contentions,    by    different 
aspirants  for  the  sceptre,  which  soon  convulsed  the  whole 
Roman    empire.     2.    Power  was  given  to  Death  to  kill 
"  with  hunger."     The  famines  which  prevailed  in  Judea 
and  Italy,  just  previous  to  the  overthrow  of  Jerusalem, 
have  been  already  noticed.     3.  x\nd  "  with  death  ;"  the 
pestilence,  as  noticed  by  Bishop  Newton,  in  the  oriental 
languages,    is   emphatically   styled   death.     Five    or  six 
years  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  a  mortal  sick- 
ness prevailed  at  Rome,  and  in  various  parts  of  the  empire. 
Josephus  speaks  of  a  pestilence  which  raged  at  Jerusalem 
at  about  the  same  time.     And   Lardner  has   referred   to 
pestilences  which  raged  in  various  places,  as  the  period 
of  Jerusalem's   overthrow  drew   near.     By   our  Saviour 
earthquakes  were  foretold.     Of  these.  Pagan  historians — 
as  referred  to  by  Lardner,  vi.  414 — mention  many.     Jo- 
sephus (Wars,  B.  4,  iv.  5,)  describes  one  in  Judea,  the 
eliects  of  which  were  so  awful,  that  "  any  one  might  con- 
jecture  that   these   wonders    foreshadowed    some   grand 
calamities  that  were  coming."     4.  But  death  and  hell  had 
power  to  destroy  "  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth."     The 
land  of  Judea  remaining  uncultivated,  the  people,  for  the 
most  part,  as  we  are  informed  by  Josephus,  having  fled  to 
the  cities,  beasts  of  prey  multiplied,  and  would  come  forth 
from  their  retreats,  attracted  by  the  carcasses  of  men  des- 


CHAPTER  VI.  53 

troyed  in  war,  or  by  pestilCTce,  and  would  even  be 
emboldened  to  enter  into  towns,  where  these  carcasses 
were  permitted  to  remain  unburied.  Wolves  and  hyenas, 
and  other  beasts  of  prey,  are  known  to  be  attracted  to 
battle-fields,  and  even  to  hang  on  the  skirts  of  hostile 
armies. 

9  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under  the  altar  the 
souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  tes- 

10  tiniony  which  they  held  :  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying, 
How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge 

1 1  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth '?  And  white  robes  were 
given  unto  every  one  of  them ;  and  it  was  said  unto  them,  that  they 
should  rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow-servants  also  and 
their  brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as  they  v:ere,  should  be  fulfilled. 

This  seal  presents  before  us  the  souls  of  those  faithful 
Christians  who  had  suffered  martyrdom  on  account  of  their 
steadfast  attachment  to  the  Gospel,  prostrate  at  the  foot  of 
the  altar,  beseeching  God  to  become  their  vindicator.  In 
answer  to  their  cry,  the  robes  of  victory  are  put  on  them, 
and  they  are  assured  that',  after  a  little  season,  when  the 
souls  of  their  brethren,  who  were  to  be  slaughtered  as  they 
had  been,  should  be  added  to  their  company,  God  would 
signally  vindicate  their  cause.  This  seal,  therefore,  must 
be  understood  as  revealing  severe  persecution.  Accord- 
ingly, we  read,  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  how  Saul  of 
Tarsus  made  havoc  of  the  church,  how  Stephen  was  stoned, 
James  was  put  to  death  by  the  sword,  and  how  the  apostles 
were  delivered  to  councils,  brought  before  kings,  were 
beaten  and  imprisoned.  The  Jews  indulged  in  an  im- 
placable resentment  towards  all  who  believed  in  Christ, 
and  killed  them  where  they  had  power.  During  the  in- 
surrections and  outbreaks,  in  the  reign  of  Claudius,  many 
of  the  disciples  of  Christ  were  massacred.  And,  about 
six  years  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  began  the 
5* 


54  REVELATION. 

bitter  persecution  by  Ner*  Our  Saviour  predicted  these 
vhings.  "  They  shall  lay  their  hands  on  you  and  perse- 
cute you,  delivering  you  up  to  the  synagogues,  and  into 
prisons,  being  brought  before  kings  and  rulers  for  my 
name's  sake  :"  Luke  xxi.  12.  "  They  shall  kill  you,  and 
ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  nations  for  my  name's  sake :" 
Matt.  xxiv.  9. 

12  And  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth  seal,  and  lo,  there  was 
a  great  earthquake ;  and  the  sun  became  black  as  sackcloth  of  hair, 

13  and  the  moon  became  as  blood  :  And  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto 
the  earth,  even  as  a  fig-tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is 

14  shaken  of  a  mighty  wind.  And  the  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll 
when  it  is  rolled  together ;  and  every  mountain  ,and  island  were 

15  moved  out  of  their  places.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the 
great  men,  and  the  rich  men,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty 
men,  and  every  bond-man,  and  every  free-man,  hid  themselves  in 

16  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  mountains;  And  said  to  the 
mountains  and  rocks,  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  hirn 

17  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb ;  For 
the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come ;  and  who  shall  be  able  to  stand  1 

This  grand  and  fearful  description  premonishes  great 
changes  and  revolutions.  The  imagery  and  the  expres- 
sions are  the  same  as  those  employed  by  other  prophets, 
and  applied  to  revolutions  in  human  governments,  or  in 
religion.  See  Is.  xiii.  10  ;  xxiv.  14,  applied  to  Babylon 
and  Idumea;  Jer.  iv.  23,  24,  applied  to  Judea ;  Ezek. 
xxxii.  7,  concerning  Egypt;  Joel.  ii.  10,  31,  concerning 
Jerusalem.  The  things  disclosed  by  the  opening  of  the 
sixth  seal  were  also  foretold  by  our  Saviour.  "  The  sun 
shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light, 
and  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the 
heavens  shall  be  shaken  :"  Matt.  xxiv.  29.  "  And  there 
shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in  the  stars ; 
and  upon  the  earth  distress  of  nations  with  perplexity  ; 
the  sea  and  the  waves  roaring  ;  men's  hearts  failing  them 


CHAPTER   VI,  55 

for  fear  and  for  looking  after  those  things  which  are 
coming  on  the  earth  ;  for  the  powers  of  heaven  shall  be 
shaken :"  Luke  xxi.  25,  26.  "  For  then  shall  be  great 
tribulation,  such  as  was  not  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world  to  this  time  ;  no,  nor  ever  shall  be  :"  Matt.  xxiv.  21. 
We  most  plainly  have,  then,  in  this  seal,  a  prediction  of 
the  greatest  changes  and  awful  commotions,  which  were 
to  precede  the  end  of  the  Jewish  state,  the  dispersion  of 
the  Jews,  and  the  destruction  of  their  ecclesiastical  as  well 
as  civil  polity.  The  earthquake  represents  a  great  con- 
vulsion of  the  nation.  The  sun  becoming  black  represents 
the  calamitous  state  of  Judea ;  the  moon  becoming  as 
blood,  the  dire  change  that  was  about  to  take  place  in  the 
ecclesiastical  and  civil  polity  of  the  Jews  ;  the  heaven 
rolling  together,  their  system  of  worship,  their  long-estab- 
lished rites  passing  away  ;  the  stars  falling  from  heaven, 
the  rulers,  elders,  and  priests  removed  or  destroyed.  Then 
follows  a  description  of  the  effect  of  all  this  on  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Palestine  :  men  of  all  ranks  and  conditions  would 
look  on,  with  fear  and  astonishment,  and  would  seek  to 
hide  themselves  from  the  avenging  hand  of  Divine  justice. 
This  was  "  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord"  fore- 
told by  Malachi,  and  other  prophets,  when  God  would 
make  a  complete  end  of  a  stiff-necked  and  rebellious 
people. 

From  the  days  of  Moses  to  Christ,  no  other  subject — if 
we  except  the  advent  of  Christ,  and  the  spread  of  the  Gos- 
pel— appears  to  occupy  a  larger  space  in  the  prophetic 
Scriptures,  than  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  dis- 
persion of  the  Jews.  And  upon  no  other  subject  did 
Christ  himself  make  more  full  and  minute  predictions,  as 
recorded  in  the  xxiv.  of  Matthew,  and  the  xxi.  of  Luke. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

1  And  after  these  things  I  saw  four  angels  standing  on  the  four  corners 
of  the  earth,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth,  that  the  wind 

2  should  not  blow  on  the  earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor  on  any  tree.  And 
I  saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the  east,  having  the  seal  of  the 
living   God :  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four  angels,  to 

3  whom  it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea.  Saying,  Hurt  not 
the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the  ser- 

4  vants  of  our  God  in  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  the  number  of 
them  which  were  sealed:  and  there  were  sealed  a  hundred  and  forty 

5  and  four  thousand  of  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Juda  icere  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben 
xcere  sealed  twelve  thousand.     Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  icere  sealed  twelve 

6  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Nephthalim  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.     Of  the  tribe 

7  of  Manasses  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon 
were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand.     Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar  were  sealed  twelve  thou- 

8  sand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin  icere  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

This  chapter  is  evidently  a  continuation  of  the  sixth 
seal.  It  first  describes  the  sealing  of  "  a  hundred  and 
forty  and  four  thousand  of  all  the  ti'ibes  of  the  children  of 
Israel  :  by  which  we  are  to  understand  the  mercy  shown, 
or  yet  to  be  shown,  to  a  select  number  of  the  Jews  ;  for 
God,  in  the  midst  of  wrath,  remembers  mercy.  The 
144,000,  it  is  obvious,  must  be  viewed  as  a  symbolical, 
instead  of  a  literal  number.  It  cannot  be  supposed  that 
it  expresses  the  exact  number  of  the  Israelites  who  were 
converted  to  Christianity  previous  to  the  dreadful  over- 
throw that  came  on  the  Jewish  nation.  But  it  clearly 
imports  that  tliere  were  thousands  of  this  nation  thus  con- 
verted, before  these  awful  judgments  fell  on  their  country- 


CHAPTER    VII.  57 

men.  Soon  after  the  ascension  of  Christ,  we  read  of  three 
thousand  added  to  the  company  of  our  Lord's  disciples  in 
a  single  day  ;  and  very  soon  after,  the  number  of  those 
that  believed  was  increased  to  five  thousand.  And  we 
know  that,  in  whatever  direction  the  apostles  and  first 
preachers  went,  they  invariably  entered  first  into  the 
synagogues,  and  made  their  first  address  to  the  Jews. 
Many  thousands,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  were  con- 
verted. This  work  of  conversion  among  them  would 
doubtless  go  on  till  the  very  eve  of  Jerusalem's  destruc- 
tion. The  first  and  second  verses  of  this  chapter  seem  to 
teach  that  the  tornado  of  judgments  which  was  to  sweep 
over  that  city,  levelling  its  palaces  and  glorious  temple 
with  the  dust,  was  to  be  stayed  until  the  full  number,  who 
were  to  be  brought  into  the  fold  of  Christ  previous  to  that 
event,  had  received  "  the  seal  of  the  living  God." 

9  After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could 
number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues, 
stood  before  the  tkronc,  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white 

10  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands;  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
saying.  Salvation  to  our  God  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and 

11  unto  the  Lamb.  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne, 
and  about  the  elders  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before  the  throne 

12  on  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God,  Saying,  Amen :  Blessing,  and 
glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving,  and  honour,  and  power,  and 

13  might,  be  unto  our  God  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen.  And  one  of  the 
elders  answered,  saying  unto  me.  What  are  these  which  are  arrayed 

14  in  white  robes'?  and  whence  came  they'?  And  I  said  unto  him. 
Sir,  thou  knowest.  And  he  said  to  me.  These  are  they  which  came 
out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made 

15  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Therefore  are  they  before 
the  throne  of  God,  and  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple  :  and 

16  he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among  them.  They  shall 
hunger  no  more,  neitber  thirst  any  more;  neither  shall  the  sun 

17  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat.  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst 
of  the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  foun- 
tains cf  Avaters :  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes. 


58  REVELATION. 

We  have  here,  before  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal, 
and  the  sounding  of  the  seven  trumpets,  as  a  sort  of  in- 
terlude in  the  sacred  drama,  the  anthem  of  a  great  multi- 
tude standing  before  the  throne,  clad  in  white  robes,  and 
with  palms  of  victory  in  their  hands.  This  great  multi- 
tude was  composed  of  those  gathered,  not  from  the  Jewish 
nation  alone,  but  from  all  nations  and  parts  of  the  earth. 
They  came  out  of  great  tribulation,  from  amidst  tempta- 
tion, sorrow,  and  sickness — "  from  torturing  racks,"  from 
scorching  flames — but  they  made  their  robes  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb.  And  now  how  changed  their  condi- 
tion !  What  happiness  and  honor  have  been  conferred  on 
them  !  They  are  before  the  throne  of  God ;  they  serve 
Him  day  and  night  in  His  temple  ;  He  that  sitteth  on  the 
throne  dwells  among  them  ;  they  hunger  and  thirst  no 
more ;  their  tears  are  all  wiped  away  ;  the  Lamb  feeds 
them,  and  leads  them  to  fountains  of  living  water.  Their 
mourning  and  prayers  are  turned  into  praises — lofty, 
high-sounding  praises.  Salvation  to  God  is  their  theme, 
while  all  the  angels  before  the  throne  join  in  saying.  Amen ; 
Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  power,  be  unto  God 
for  ever  and  ever.  The  appropriateness  of  this  episode, 
if  we  may  so  regard  it,  will  be  readily  perceived,  if  the 
leading  design  of  the  prophecy  contained  in  this  book  is 
kept  in  view.  What  consolation  it  would  afford  to  the 
little  flock  of  Christ's  persecuted  followers  to  know,  by 
this  vivid  representation,  that  when  God  should  make  up 
the  number  of  His  redeemed,  there  would  be  not  a  few 
thousands  from  the  Jewish  nation  alone,  but  an  innumer- 
able company  of  worshippers  from  all  nations,  kindreds, 
people,  and  tongues  ! 

We  are  brought  now  to  the  Seventh  Seal.  It  includes 
the  seven  trumpets,  and  all  that  remains  of  the  prophecy 
contained  in  this  look. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

1  And  when  he  had  opened  the  seventh  seal,  there  was  silence  in 

2  heaven  about  the  space  of  half  an  hour.  And  I  saw  the  seven 
angels  which  stood  before  God;  and  to  them  were  given  seven 

3  trumpets.  And  another  angel  came  and  stood  at  the  altar,  having  a 
golden  censer;  and  there  was  given  unto  him  much  incense,  that  he 
should  offer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  Lhe  golden  altar 

4  which  was  before  the  throne.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  lohich 
came  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  before  God  out  of 

5  the  angel's  hand.  And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and  filled  it  with 
fire  of  the. altar,  and  cast  it  into  tht  earth:  and  there  were  voices, 

6  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake.  And  the  seven 
angels  which  had  the  seven  trumpets  prepared  themselves  to  sound. 

The  contents  of  the  book  with  seven  seals,  inasmuch  as 
it  includes  the  whole  of  the  prophecy,  related  to  the  Pagan 
and  Papal  persecuting  powers,  as  well  as  to  the  Jewish. 
And  John  now  proceeds  to  describe  Pagan  Rome.  This 
was  necessary,  before  he  had  fully  depicted  the  catastrophe 
of  the  Jewish  nation,  inasmuch  as  it  was  by  the  sword  of 
the  Romans  that  this  catastrophe  was  to  be  finally  accom- 
plished. Besides,  the  strict  method  which  seems  to  run 
through  this  book  required  this,  because  the  Pagan  perse- 
cuting power  commenced  previous  to  the  overthrow  of  the 
Jewish  nation.  Even  the  writer  of  this  book,  although 
residing  in  a  distant  province  of  the  empire,  had  been  made 
a  victim  of  Nero's  cruelty;  and,  at  the  time  he  wrote, 
Jerusalem  was  still  standing. 

Perhaps  we  are  to  understand  this  transition  to  be  indi- 
cated by  "  the  silence  in  heaven  about  the  space  of  half  an 
hour."  First,  the  Apocalyptist  saw  seven  angels,  to  whom 
were  given  seven  trumpets.  Then,  by  another  angel, 
standing  at  the  altar,  having  a  golden  censer,  offering  in 


60  REVELATION. 

cense  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  is  represented  the 
efficacy  of  the  prayers  of  God's  persecuted  people.  As 
the  smoke  of  the  incense,  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints, 
ascended  up  before  God,  the  angel,  as  if  in  token  that 
these  prayers  were  heard,  filled  the  censer  with  fire'  and 
cast  it  to  the  earth  ;  "  and  there  were  voices,  and  thunder- 
ings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake  ;"  z.  e.,  a  fearful 
destruction  is  just  ready  to  fall  upon  persecutors 

7  The  first  angel  sounded,  and  there  followed  hail  and  fire  mingled 
with  blood,  and  they  were  cast  upon  the  earth:  and  the  third  part  of 
trees  was  burnt  up,  and  all  green  grass  was  burnt  up. 

By  the  figure  kail  and  fire  mingled  with  blood,  may  be 
understood  the  ancient  warfare  of  the  barbarous  tribes  and 
nations,  out  of  which  grew  the  Roman  commonwealth. 
The  expression,  "  the  third  part,"  which  occurs  so  fre- 
quently in  this  prophecy,  will  be  found,  in  every  instance, 
to  refer  to  the  Roman  nation,  and  its  conquests  in  the 
earth.  Here,  by  the  third  part  of  the  trees,  and  all  the 
green  grass,  being  burnt  up,  allusion  is  made  to  the  Roman 
conquests,  in  their  wars  with  the  Sabines,  Tarquins,  Car- 
thaginians, and  the  Greeks.  Accordingly,  this  part  of  the 
prophecy,  together  with  the  next  three  trumpets,  like  the 
first  five  seals,  must  be  viewed  as  retrogressive.  The 
object  of  thus  bringing  to  view  past  events  in  the  history 
of  Rome,  doubtless  was  that,  by  a  more  full  description, 
that  power  might  be  more  clearly  pointed  out.  When 
John  described  Nero,  as  we  shall  see  in  a  subsequent  part 
of  this  work,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  do  it  in  such  a 
manner  as  not  to  be  exposed  to  the  vindictiveness  of  that 
monarch.  For  a  similar  reason,  instead  of  mentioning  the 
Roman  power  by  name,  it  was  a  necessary  precaution  for 
him  to  describe  it,  and  describe  it  in  such  a  manner  as  not 
to  be  exposed  to  the  watchful  malice  of  its  minions  and 
emissaries. 


CHAPTER   VIII.  61 

8  And  the  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were  a  great  mountain 
burning  witli  fire  was  CE^t  into  the  sea:  and  the  third  part  of  the  sea 

9  became  blood :  And  the  third  part  of  the  creatures  which  were  in 
the  sea,  and  had  life,  died ;  and  the  tliird  part  of  the  ships  were 
destroyed. 

A  great  mountain,  burning  with  fire,  was  the  symbol  of 
a  powerful  and  warlike  people,  such  as  the  Roman  nation 
was.  By  its  being  cast  into  the  sea,  and  turning  it  into 
blood,  is  meant  the  destruction  of  nations  and  empires ; 
for  waters,  as  the  angel  explained  to  John  (Rev.  xvii.  15,) 
"  are  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues." 
And,  by  the  third  part,  is  to  be  understood  the  extent  of 
the  Roman  dominion ;  for  it  came  to  possess  "  in  Asia  and 
Africa,  as  much  as  it  wanted  in  Europe  to  make  up  the 
third  part  of  the  inhabited  world  at  that  time." 

10  And  the  third  angel  sounded,  and  there  fell  a  great  star  from  heaven, 
burning  as  it  were  a  lamp,  and  it  fell  upon  the  third  part  of  the 

11  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters;  And  the  name  of  the 
star  is  called  Wormwood:  and  the  third  part  of  the  waters  became 
wormwood ;  and  many  men  died  of  the  waters,  because  they  were 
made  bitter. 

This  great  star,  falling  ^I'om  heaven,  may  be  understood 
as  pointing  to  some  distinguished  ruler  or  commander  of 
the  Roman  nation.  For  nearly  four  hundred  years,  Rome 
was  a  republic.  In  this  period  flourished  Fabius,  Cincin- 
natus,  Livy,  Scipio,  Marius,  Pompey,  and  Cicero.  But 
Pompey  and  Cicero  were  destined  to  see  a  change.  They 
were  contemporary  with  the  first  of  the  Coesars.  Their 
efforts,  united  with  those  of  the  virtuous  Cato  and  the  pa- 
triotic Brutus,  were  ineffectual  in  shielding  their  country 
from  the  calamity  which  they  saw  impending.  The  great 
star  fell.  And  well  might  it  be  called  Wormwood  ;  for  it 
was  the  signal  for  civil  dissensions,  the  most  bitter  personal 
animosities  and  sanguinary  contests,  in  which  some  of  the 

6 


63  REVELATION. 

best  blood  of  the  commonwealth  was  shed.  Julius  Csesar,* 
who  "  united  the  talents  of  Bonaparte  to  those  of  Cromwell, 
and  possessed  also  what  neither  of  them  possessed — learn- 
ing, taste,  wit,  eloquence,"f — had  been  gradually  rising 
into  power.  In  his  usurpations,  such  patriots  as  Cato  and 
Brutus,  and  Cicero,  long  thought  they  had  detected  an 
ambition  for  kingly  power.  At  length,  civil  war  broke 
out :  Pompey  was  conquered  on  the  field  of  Pharsalia,  and 
Csesar  was  declared  perpetual  Dictator.  The  attempts  of 
Brutus  to  restore  the  republic  were  ineffectual.  The  re- 
sult of  the  battle  of  Philippi  served  only  to  render  the 
prospects  of  the  commonwealth  more  gloomy  than  before. 
By  the  third  part  of  the  waters  becoming  wormwood,  is  to 
be  understood  the  civil  war  which  convulsed  every  part  of 
the  Roman  dominions.  And,  by  the  many  men  who  died 
of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter,  is  to  be 
understood  the  multitudes  who  perished  in  the  defence  of 
their  country,  or  in  the  armies  of  the  usurper. 

13  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was 
smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the  third  part  of  the 
stars  ;  so  as  the  third  part  of  them  was  darkened,  and  the  day  shone 
not  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night  Ukewise, 

Here  is  described  a  continuation  of  those  usurpations 
which  subverted  the  Roman  republic,  and  the  consequences 
with  which  they  were  immediately  attended.     The  strug- 

*  "  He  was  no  doubt  of  a  very  noble  mind." — Bacon, 
"  The  singular  force  and  grandeur  of  his  character  can  never  be 
overlooked.  His  sharp  insight — his  sagacious,  comprehensive,  and 
practical  views — his  boldness  of  conception — his  indomitable  persever- 
ances—his unswerving  decision,  and  his  power  over  armies,  popular 
assemblies,  and  men  of  genius,  rank  and  fame — prove  him  to  have  be- 
longed to  the  highest  order  of  men  of  great  capacity ;  and  it  is  impos- 
sible to  survey  his  actions  without  a  feeling  approaching  to  the  awful." 
—Life  of  Julius  C/E.sar  :  Leavitt,  Trow  &  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1846, 
t  Macaulay. 


CHAPTER  Vm.  63 

gles  of  the  patriots  to  save  the  commonwealth  proved 
unsuccessful,  until,  at  the  battle  of  Actium,  the  republic 
was  completely  overthrown ;  and,  shortly  after,  Augustus 
Caesar,  without  opposition,  exercised  the  powers  of  an  ab- 
solute sovereign.  The  third  part  of  the  sun,  the  third 
part  of  the  stars,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  were 
smitten  ;  i.  e.,  the  republican  institutions,  and  the  great 
men,  the  great  lights  of  the  commonwealth,  were  eclipsed 
and  darkened.  Roman  virtue  seemed  to  perish  with  such 
men  as  Cato  and  Brutus  ;  or  at  least,  did  not  long  survive 
their  compatriots,  who  escaped  falling  by  the  sword :,  for 
in  little  more  than  fifty  years,  the  monarchy  was  fully 
established  under  Augustus,  and  Tiberius,  his  successor. 

13  And  I  beheld,  and  heard  an  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of  hea- 
ven, saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Wo,  wo,  wo,  to  the  inhabiters  of  the 
earth,  by  reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three 
angels,  which  are  yet  to  sound  ! 

In  this  verse,  we  are  given  to  understand  that  the  three 
remaining  trumpets  are  to  be  distinguished  from  the  former, 
by  the  name  of  Woes.  The  design  of  this  is  to  awaken 
attention  to  the  following  trumpets,  and  particularly  as 
woes,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  former — v/hich  we  have 
seen  were  not  designed  to  foretell  judgments  on  the  enemies 
of  the  church,  or  the  persecution  of  the  church  itself,  but 
were  merely  descriptive  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  a  power 
which  eventually  became  most  inimical  to  the  cause  of 
Jesus  Christ.  The  three  v/oe-trumpets  are  appropriately 
so  called,  because  they  predict  persecutions  against  Chris- 
tianity by  the  pagan  empire  of  Rome,  and  the  false 
prophet,  or  papal  anti-Christ ;  and  the  judgments  which 
should  be  inflicted  on  these  persecuting  powers.  The 
other  trumpets,  let  me  repeat  it,  relate  to  the  rise  and  pro- 
gress of  the  Roman  empire;  those  that  remain  a^  dis- 
tinguishingly  styled  woes^  because  they  manifestly^^late 


64  REVELATION. 

to  the  persecution  of  the  church  carried  on  by  Nero,  and 
perpetuated  by  several  of  his  successors,  and,  at  length, 
by  the  woman  whom  the  Beast  carried,  ^.  e.,  the  church 
of  Rome  ;  and  they  also  predict  the  final  overthrow  of  these 
persecuting  powers.  They  are  of  interest  to  all  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth — for  including,  as  they  do,  the 
seventh  trumpet,  the  angel  will  not  cease  his  flight  in 
heaven,  nor  his  fearful  cry,  until  every  persecuting  enemy 
of  God  has  been  destroyed. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

1  And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star  fall  from  heaven  unto 
the  earth :  and  to  him  was  given  the  key  of  the  Bottomless  pit. 

2  And  he  opened  the  bottomless  pit ;  and  there  arose  a  smoke  out  of 
the  pit,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace ;  and  the  sun  and  the  air 

3  were  darkened  by  reason  of  the  smoke  of  the  pit.  And  there  came 
out  of  the  smoke  locusts  upon  the  earth :  and  unto  them  was  given 

4  power,  as  the  scorpions  of  the  earth  have  power.  And  it  was  com- 
manded them  that  they  should  not  hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth, 
neither  any  green  thing,  neither  any  tree;  but  only  those  men  which 

5  have  not  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads.  And  to  them  it  was 
given  that  they  should  not  kill  them,  but  that  they  should  be  tor- 
mented five  months :  and  their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a 

6  scorpion,  when  he  striketh  a  man.  And  in  those  days  shall  men 
seek  death,  and  shall  not  find  it ;  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death 

7  shall  flee  from  them.  And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like 
unto  horses  prepared  unto  battle ;  and  on  their  heads  wei-e  as  it 
were  crowns  like  gold,  and  their  faces  icere  as  the  faces  of  men. 

8  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of  women,  and  their  teeth  were  as 

9  the  teeth  of  lions.  And  they  had  breastplates,  as  it  were  breast- 
plates of  iron ;  and  the  sound  of  their  wings  was  as  the  sound  of 

10  chariots  of  many  horses  running  to  battle.  And  they  had  tails  like 
unto  scorpions,  and  there  were  stings  in  their  tails  :  and  their  power 

1 1  was  to  hurt  men  five  months.  And  they  had  a  king  over  them, 
which  is  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in  the  Greek  tongue  hath  /u'sname  ApoUyon, 

12  One  wo  is  past;  and  behold,  there  come  two  woes  more  hereafter. 

A  GREAT  star  falling  from  heaven,  as  before  remarked, 
under  the  third  trumpet,  must  be  taken  as  symbolical  of  a 
powerful  prince  or  ruler.  The  person  here  pointed  out  is 
the  cruel  tyrant  Nero.  The  opening  of  the  bottomless  pit, 
and  the  smoke  which  arose  out  of  it,  darkening  the  air, 
refer  to  the  atrocities  perpetrated  by  that  infamous  and 
tyrannical  emperor.  He  was  more  than  suspected  of  being 
6* 


66  REVELATION. 

accessory  to  the  murder  of  his  predecessor,  Claudius.  He 
caused  his  mother,  Agrippina,  and  his  wife,  the  unfortu- 
nate Octavia,  to  be  executed.  He  exercised  every  species 
of  arbitrary  cruelty  on  his  subjects.  His  preceptor,  the 
virtuous  Seneca,  having  lost  all  influence  over  him,  he 
abandoned  himself  to  the  most  voluptuous  practices  and 
licentious  vices.  But  "his  cruelties  exceeded  all  his 
other  extravagances."  The  most  virtuous  citizens  were 
massacred ;  even  Seneca  fell  at  last ;  and  the  most  profli- 
gate were  taken  into  favor.  At  length,  he  set  fire  to  the 
city  of  Rome ;  and,  as  he  stood  on  a  tower,  watching  the 
flames,  played  upon  the  harp,  and  sung  verses  on  the 
burning  of  Troy.  "  The  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened 
by  reason  of  the  smoke  :"  these  words  were. not  only  ful- 
filled literally,  but  they  strikingly  depict — as  doubtless  was 
their  design — the  great  calamities  which  befel  the  Roman 
empire,  in  consequence  of  the  atrocities  of  Nero. 

"  And  there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts  upon  the 
earth  ;  and  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the  scorpions 
of  the  earth  have  power."  As  the  smoke  that  came  out 
of  the  bottomless  pit  represents  the  persecutions  and  cruel- 
ties which  Nero  exercised  towards  his  subjects,  of  all  ranks 
and  classes,  in  various  parts  of  the  empire,  so  the  locusts 
that  came  out  of  the  smoke  admit  of  a  striking  application 
to  the  factions  that  arose  in  Jerusalem  on  the  invasion  of 
Judea  by  the  Roman  army. 

We  learn,  from  the  Jewish  historian,  that  when  the 
robbers — who  had  taken  advantage  of  the  convulsed  state 
of  the  country,  and  had  banded  together,  in  the  mountains 
of  Judea,  for  rapine  and  murder — beheld  the  Roman  army 
approaching  Jerusalem,  they  betook  themselves  to  the  city, 
and  being  joined  by  the  zealots  and  lawless  moh,  ruled  over 
it.  Plunder,  murder,  and  destruction  seemed  now  to  be 
without  restraint.     Faction  fought  against  faction  ;  and,  to 


CHAPTER  IX.  67 

deprive  each  other  of  food,  large  quantities  of  provisions, 
which  had  been  collected  in  anticipation  of  the  siege,  were 
destroyed.  The  blood  of  thousands  was  shed  by  their 
brethren.  The  robbers  and  zealots  at  last  held  undisputed 
sway.  Famine  preyed  upon  all.  The  sewers  were 
searched  for  food,  and  the  most  loathsome  refuse  was 
greedily  devoured.  Josephus  (Wars,  b.  6,  iii.  4,)  relates 
the  following  affecting  story  of  a  Jewish  lady,  "  eminent 
for  her  family  and  wealth,"  who  had  fled  to  Jerusalem  on 
the  invasion  of  Palestine  by  the  Roman  army.  All  the 
treasures,  and  all  the  food  she  had  brought  with  her,  for 
the  maintenance  of  herself  and  family,  had  been  seized  by 
the  lawless  banditti  that  infested  the  city.  By  her  im- 
precations, she  strove  in  vain  to  provoke  them  to  take  away 
her  life.  Famine,  at  last,  seemed  to  divest  her  of  the 
instincts  and  affections  of  a  human  being.  With  despera- 
tion, she  seized  her  own  son,  an  infant,  slew  and  served  it 
up  for  food.  Horrid  feast !  The  portion  she  did  not  con- 
sume was  concealed.  The  smell  of  food  was  not  long  in 
attracting  the  vultures  to  the  abode  of  the  miserable  woman. 
They  threatened  her  with  new  torments  if  she  did  not  show 
them  where  it  was  concealed.  She  uncovered,  and  placed 
the  half-eaten  body  of  her  son  before  the  robbers  ;  and, 
with  bitter  irony,  assured  them  that  she  had  saved  it  as  a 
portion  for  them.  These  wretches,  at  the  horrid  spectacle, 
fled  from  her  house,  trembling  and  affinghted.  "  The  fa- 
mine," remarks  Josephus,  (Wars,  b.  5,  x.  3,)  "  was  too 
hard  for  all  other  passions  ;  insomuch  that  children  pulled 
the  very  morsels  that  their  fathers  were  eating  out  of  their 
very  mouths ;  and  what  was  still  more  to  be  pitied,  so  did 
the  mothers  do  to  their  children  ;  and  when  those  who  were 
most  dear  were  perishing  under  their  hands,  they  were  not 
ashamed  to  take  from  them  the  very  last  drops  that  might 
preserve  their  lives."     Such  were  the  beings,  human  in 


68  REVELATION. 

form  only,  that  gave  to  the  locusts  power  as  the  scorpions 
of  the  earth  have  power.  Well  might  such  men  as  laid 
waste  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  whilst  the  Roman  army  be- 
sieged it,  be  compared  to  scorpions — than  which  there  are 
few  animals  more  malignant  and  formidable,  and  none 
more  irascible.  It  is  stated  by  Dr.  Goldsmith,  that  a 
naturalist,  named  Maupertius,  put  a  hundred  of  these 
dreadful  insects  together,  and  they  scarcely  came  in  con- 
tact, when  they  began  to  exert  all  their  rage  in  mutual 
destruction  ;  so  that,  in  a  few  days,  there  remained  but 
fourteen,  which  had  killed  and  devoured  all  the  rest.  The 
female  scorjpion  loill  even  devour  its  own  youmg.  And  it  is 
asserted,  that  when  placed  in  danger  from  which  it  per- 
ceives no  way  of  escape,  this  malignant  insect  will  sting 
itself  to  death.  Such  is  the  terrible  nature  of  the  scorpion. 
And  what  could  more  vividly  represent  the  mad  and  self- 
immolating  fury  of  the  factions  which  afflicted  unhappy 
Jesusalem.  "Their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a. 
scorpion  when  he  striketh  a  man."  The  Roman  general, 
Titus,  beheld,  with  amazement,  the  furious  desperation  of 
the  Jews,  and  would  gladly  have  saved  both  their  city  and 
their  temple  from  destruction.  Thrice  did  he  extinguish 
the  fire  that  had  been  thrown  upon  the  sacred  edifice. 
But  the  decree  had  gone  forth  that  not  one  stone  of  it  should 
be  left  upon  another.  And  after  tlie  work  was  accom- 
plished, this  Pagan  exclaimed  in  amazement,  when  he 
beheld  the  impregnable  fortifications  of  Jerusalem — "  We 
have  certainly  had  God  for  our  helper  in  this  war.  For 
what  could  the  hands  of  man,  or  any  machines  of  war,  do 
towards  throwing  down  such  fortifications  ?"  Considering 
the  vast  magazines  of  provisions  which  had  been  collected 
in  the  city,  it  is  more  than  probable  that,  had  the  Jews  been 
united,  the  Roman  army,  finding  it  impossible  to  procure 
supplies  in  an  uncultivated  country,  would  have  been  com- 


CHAPTER  IX.  69 

pelled  to  retire  without  accomplishing  the  object  of  their 
expedition.  But  it  was  the  factious  spirit  of  the  Jews  which 
precipitated  their  overthrow.  As  if  with  scorpion  rage,  they 
stung  themselves  to  death,  or  exerted  all  their  fury  in 
mutual  destruction,  In  regard  to  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem, Josephus  (preface  to  Wars,  §  4,)  bears  record  that, 
in  his  opinion  "  no  city  ever  suffered  such  miseries,  nor 
was  there  ever  a  generation  more  fruitful  in  wickedness 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world."  "  It  appears  to  me  that 
the  misfortunes  of  all  men,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world,  if  they  be  compared  to  those  of  the  Jews,  are  not  so 
considerable."  And  most  certain  it  is,  that  the  details 
which  he  furnishes  are  the  most  sickening  for  atrocity,  and 
the  savage  ferocity  exhibited  by  the  principal  actors,  to  be 
found  on  the  pages  of  history.  The  number  of  those  who 
perished  by  the  sword,  famine,  and  pestilence,  was  com- 
puted at  upwards  of  one  million,  three  hundred  thousand. 
"  The  multitudes  of  those  who  perished  exceeded  all  the 
destructions  that  man  or  God  ever  brought  on  the  world." 
(Jos.  Wars,  b.  6,  ix.  4.) 

The  locusts  were  commissioned  to  injure  those  men  that 
had  not  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads;  i.  e.,  such  as 
were  not  Christians;  the  blasphemous,  and  God-contemn- 
ing Jews.  They  were  not  permitted  to  kill  them  ;  i.  e., 
slaughter  was  not  the  particular  work  assigned  them. 
Many,  it  is  true,  perished,  but  chiefly  by  the  famine  and 
the  pestilence.  To  inflict  torment  was  the  peculiar  work 
assigned  to  the  locusts.  They  had  the  power  of  the  scor- 
pion for  this  very  end.  And  as  the  literal  locusts  were 
one  of  the  greatest  calamities  in  the  East — leaving  deso- 
lation and  famine  in  their  track,  by  consuming  the  entire 
crops  of  the  husbandman — so  the  Zelotce,  of  whom  they 
were  the  symbol,  destroyed  the  stores  of  grain  which  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  had  collected  in  anticipation  of  a 


70  REVELATION. 

siege — making  a  land  which  was  as  the  garden  of  Eden 
before  them,  as  a  desolate  wilderness.  The  city  was  full 
of  people  when  Titus  gained  an  entrance  within  the  walls  ; 
and  to  his  army  was  assigned  the  chief  work  of  slaughter. 
When  the  soldiers,  as  represented  by  Josephus,  were  quite 
tired  with  killing  men,  there  remained  a  vast*  multitude  ; 
so  that  Titus,  to  cut  short  the  work,  commanded  that  they 
should  kill  none  but  those  found  in  arms.  (Jos.  Wars, 
b.  6,  ix.  2.) 

The  locusts  were  commissioned  to  torment  five  months. 
And  this  precisely  was  the  period  during  which  Titus  be- 
sieged Jerusalem,  and  the  zealots  and  robbers  held  undis- 
puted sway  within  the  walls,  and  were  perpetrating  the 
enormities,  some  of  which  have  been  described.  It  was 
about  the  first  of  March,  (Jos.  War,  b.  5,  iii.  1,  2,)  when 
Titus  laid  siege  to  Jerusalem  ;  just  five  months  after,  viz., 
the  tenth  of  August,  (Jos.  War,  b.  viii.  4,)  the  city  was 
destroyed,  and  the  power  of  the  locusts  to  torment  those 
who  had  not  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads  ceased.  It 
is  not  only  a  great,  but  an  insuperable  difficulty  in  the  way 
of  interpreting  these  locusts  as  representing  the  Saracens, 
which  is  done  by  those  who  understand  Mahommed  to  be 
foretold  by  the  "  great  star,"  that  it  is  impossible  to  ex- 
plain the  five  months  either  literally  or  figuratively  ;  i.  e., 
either  as  five  natural  months,  or  as  a  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  The  Saracenic  Caliphs  reigned  at  Bagdad  and 
Damascus  three  hundred  years. 

It  was  in  those  days — the  continuance  of  the  five  months 
— that  men  should  seek  death  and  not  find  it,  and  should 
desire  to  die,  and  death  should  flee  from  them.  Josephus 
(War.  b.  5.  xii.  3.)  represents  some  as  beseeching  the  rob- 
bers to  despatch  them  with  their  swords,  but  even  these 
monsters  in  human  shape,  influenced  by  the  malice  of  de- 


CHAPTER  IX.  71 

lighting  to  see  protracted  miseries,  refused  to  heed  the 
request.     It  was  not  given  them  to  kill,  but  to  torment. 

In  regard  to  the  description  of  the  locusts  which  came 
out  of  the  smoke,  the  following  information,  from  an  orien- 
tal traveller,  Niebuhr,  serves  in  part  to  explain  it.  He 
was  told  by  an  Arab  from  the  desert,  and  another  at  Bag- 
dad, that  the  head  of  the  locust  might  be  compared  to  that 
of  the  horse  ;  its  breast  to  that  of  the  lion  ;  its  feet  to  those 
of  the  camel ;  its  body  to  that  of  the  serpent ;  its  tail  to  that 
of  the  scorpion  ;  its  horns  {antennce)  to  the  locks  of  hair  of 
a  woman.  And  Bishop  Newton  remarks  that  locusts  are 
called  by  the  Italians  cavellette,  little  horses.  War-horses, 
the  teeth  of  lions,  iron  breastplates,  and  the  noise  of  war- 
chariots  rushing  to  battle,  are  all  symbolical  of  a  formida- 
ble and  destructive  power.  Such  were  the  Zelotce,  who 
were  "  a  greater  terror  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  than 
the  Romans  themselves."  But  that  part  of  the  description 
of  the  locusts  which  represents  them  as  having  hair,  like 
the  hair  of  women,  has  occasioned  no  small  perplexity  to 
the  critics,  as  exhibiting  a  disregard  of  natural  verisimili- 
tude. The  prophet  evidently  had  his  eye  on  enemies  so 
formidable  and  unheard  of,  that  not  even  locusts,  or  any 
other  similar  creature,  could  fully  symbolize  them.  Jose- 
phus  (War,  b.  4.  ix.  10.)  describes  the  zealots  as  decking 
their  hair  after  the  manner  of  women,  putting  on  the  gar- 
ments and  ornaments  of  women,  and  affecting  an  effeminate 
gait,  that  they  might  more  successfully  accomplish  their 
fiendish  purposes. 

Under  the  sixth  trumpet,  we  shall  find  the  destruction  of 
the  Jewish  nation  completed,  and  of  course  the  end  of  the 
Jewish  persecuting  power.     It  extends  to  chap,  xi.  14. 

13  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded,  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  the  four 

14  horns  of  the  golden  altar  which  is  before  God,  Saying  to  the  sixth 
angel  which  had  the  trumpet,  Loose  the  four  angels  which  are  bound 


73  REVELATION. 

15  in  the  great  river  Euphrates.  And  the  four  angels  were  loosed, 
which  were  prepared  for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a 

16  year,  for  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men.  And  the  number  of  the 
army  of  the  horsemen  were  two  hundred  thousand  thousand  :  and  T 

17  heard  the  number  of  theha.  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vis- 
ion, and  them  that  sat  on  them,  having  breastplates  of  fire,  and  of 
jacinth,  and  brimstone :  and  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the  heads 
of  lions  :    and  out  of  their  mouths  issued  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brim 

18  stone.  By  these  three  was  the  third  part  of  men  killed,  by  the  fire,  and 
by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone,  which  issued  out  of  their  mouths. 

19  For  their  power  is  in  their  mouth,  and  in  their  tails :  for  their  tails 
Vfere  hke  unto  serpents,  and  had  heads,  and  with  them  they  do  hurt. 

20  And  the  rest  of  the  men  which  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues 
yet  repented  not  of  the  w^orks  of  their  hands,  that  they  should  not 
worship  devils,  and  idols  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone, 

21  and  of  wood :  which  neither  can  see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk :  Neither 
repented  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of  their  sorceries,  nor  of  their 
fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts. 

The  unbinding  of  the  four  angels,  in  or  by  the  great 
river  Euphrates,  to  which  the  territory  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire extended,  represents  the  four  generals,  Vespasian, 
Titus,  Aggrippa,  and  Trajan,  who  commanded  the  Roman 
army,  which  overrun  Judea  and  destroyed  Jerusalem. 
This  army  was  gathered  from  countries  lying  towards,  or 
bordering  on  the  river  Euphrates.  As  for  the  expressions, 
"  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year,"  it  is  only 
necessary  to  say,  in  the  language  of  Dr.  Doddridge,  "  that 
they  probably  signify  a  determined,  limited  time."  The 
four  angels,  or  ministers  of  divine  justice,  had  been  pre- 
pared, or  set  apart,  for  a  particular  period  or  point  of  time, 
which  could  be  neither  anticipated  nor  delayed.  When 
that  hour  arrived,  they  would  be  found  ready  for  their  ap- 
pointed work.  The  number  of  the  army  was  two  hundred 
thousand  thousand,  200,000,000 ;  a  very  large  definite 
number  is  put  for  an  indefinite,  a  method  of  expression  not 
altogether  uncommon  at  the  present  day.  The  army  of 
the  invaders  numbered  less  t-lian  100,000  men.     Then  fol- 


CHAPTER  IX.  73 

lows  a  description  of  the  Roman  legions,  and  of  those  wild 
bands  of  oriental  cavalry,  which  constituted  the  main  body 
of  the  invading  force,  the  terror  they  would  spread  around 
them,  and  the  slaughter  of  those  against  whom  they  were 
sent.  The  heads  of  the  horses  being  compared  to  the  heads 
of  lions,  out  of  the  mouths  of  which  a  destructive  fire 
issued,  and  their  tails  likened  to  serpents,  having  heads,  are 
a  part  of  the  picture  presented  to  the  eye  of  the  apocalyptist, 
designed  to  intimate  the  terrific  and  tormenting  nature  of 
the  miseries  inflicted  on  the  Jewish  nation.  The  Jewish 
nation  was  the  carcase,  the  slaughtering  army  which  John 
beheld  in  vision  were  the  eagles  gathered  together  to  de- 
vour it. 

"  And  the  rest  of  the  men  which  were  not  killed  by  these 
plagues  yet  repented  not  of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that 
they  should  not  worship  devils,  and  idols  of  gold,  and  sil- 
ver, and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of  wood,  which  neither  can 
see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk."  These  words,  at  first  view, 
it  would  seem,  could  not  possibly  apply  to  Jews,  but  must 
refer  to  heathen.  And  if  so,  then  it  would  follow  that  the 
interpretation  which  has  been  given  of  this  part  of  the 
Apocalypse  can  not  be  sustained.  If  the  victims  of  the 
judgments  which  have  been  described  were  the  worship- 
pers of  idols,  it  might  be  concluded  at  once  that  they  were 
not  Jews.  But  it  is  well  known  that  up  to  the  time  of  the 
Babylonish  captivity,  there  was  no  sin  to  which  the  Jews 
were  more  addicted  than  that  of  idolatry.  It  was  for  this 
sin  that  the  severest  judgments  were  denounced  against 
them,  even  the  desolation  of  their  country,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  city.  It  is  also  evident  that,  after  their  rejec- 
tion of  the  true  Messiah,  there  could  have  been  no  spiritual 
religion  left  among  them.  There  were  no  Simeons  and 
Annas  who  waited  for  the  consolation  of  Israel,  devoutly 
servinir  God.     All  the  religion  that  was  left  was  pharisai- 


74  REVELATION. 

cal  and  heartless  formality.  Christ  told  those  who  made 
the  greatest  pretensions  to  religion  among  the  Jews  that 
they  had  given  proof  that  they  were  not  Moses's  disciples, 
but  that  they  were  of  their  father,  the  devil.  There  might 
have  been  an  outward  reverence  for  certain  places  and 
observances,  but  as  this  constituted  all  their  religion,  it 
was  no  better  than  idolatry.  They  did  not  worship  God 
in  spirit  and  in  truth,  whilst  they  manifested  an  idolatrous 
regard  for  the  temple  and  traditionary  rites.  If  covetous* 
ness  might  be  called  idolatry,  of  what  better  name  could 
the  worship  of  the  Jews  have  been  deserving.  But  it  is  by 
no  means  improbable  that  in  that  degenerate  age,  there 
was  a  considerable  party  who  had  actually  fallen  into 
idolatry.  It  is  by  no  means  uncharitable  to  suppose  of 
men  who  had  shamelessly  violated  almost  every  precept 
of  the  moral  law,  who  were  thieves  and  murderers,  that 
they  were  also  guilty  of  idolatry.  The  robbers  of  Idumea 
and  the  Sicarii  of  Galilee  were  guilty  of  practices  that 
might  even  shame  the  heathen.  But  even  if  there  were 
no  ground  for  the  charge  of  actual  idolatry  against  the 
Jews,  the  language  of  this  passage,  like  similar  language 
elsewhere,  might  very  naturally  receive  a  figurative  inter- 
pretation. 

It  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the  wickedness  of  the  Jews 
that  the  judgments  inflicted  on  them  failed  of  leading  them 
to  repentance. 


CHAPTER  X. 

1  And  I  saw  another  mighty  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  clothed 
with  a  cloud :    and  a  rainbow  vias  upon  his  head,  and  his  face  icas 

2  as  it  were  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire :  And  he  had  in  his 
hand  a  little  book  open :   and  he  set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and 

3  his  \e^  foot  on  the  earth.  And  he  cried  witha  loud  voice,  as  when 
a  lion  roareth  .  and  when  he  had  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered  their 

4  voices.  And  when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices,  I 
was  about  to  write  :  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto 
me.   Seal  up  those  things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered,  and 

5  write  them  not.^    And  the  angel  which  I  saw  stand  upon  the  sea  and 
G  upon  the  earth,  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  And  sware  by  him  that 

liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  who  created  heaven,  and  the  things  that 
"  therein  are,  and  the  earth,  and  the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the 
sea,  and  the  things  which  are  therein,  that  there  should  be  time  no 

7  longer:  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when  lie 
shall  begin  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God  should  be  finished,  as  he 

8  hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets.  And  the  voice  which  I 
heard  from  heaven  spake  unto  me  again,  and  said,  Go,  and  take  the 
little  book  which  is  open  in  the  hand  of  the  angel  which  standeth 

9  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth.  And  I  went  unto  the  angel,  and 
said  unto  him.  Give  me  the  little  book.  And  he  said  unto  me. 
Take  it,  and  eat  it  up;  and  it  shall  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  it  shall 

10  be  in  thy  mouth  sweet  as  honey.  And  I  took  the  little  book  out 
of  the  angel's  hand,  and  ate  it  up;    and  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet 

1 1  as  honey  :  and  as  soon  as  I  had  eaten  it  my  belly  was  bitter.  And 
he  said  unto  me.  Thou  must  prophesy  again  before  many  peoples, 
and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings. 

This  chapter,  which,  as  already  stated,  is  a  continuation 
of  the  sixth  trumpet,  comprises  the  vision  of  the  mighty- 
angel  with  a  little  book  in  his  hand.  He  is  described  as 
clothed  with  a  cloud,  with  a  rainbow  on  his  head,  his  face 
resplendent  like  the  sun,  and  his  feet  like  pillars  of  brass, 
glowing  with  brightness.     Sir  William  Jones  has  pronounc 


76  REVELATION. 

ed  this  description  to  be  "  superior  to  any  thing  ever  pro- 
duced by  an  uninspired  writer."  It  doubtless  refers  to  the 
Saviour  himself,  who  appears  to  announce  that  there  should 
be  no  further  delay,  but  that  the  "  How  long,  O  Lord  !" 
of  the  martyrs  should  now  be  answered.  To  show  His 
authority  over  the  created  universe,  and  His  power  to  con- 
summate His  threatened  judgments,  He  stands  with  one 
foot  on  the  sea,  and  the  other  on  the  land.  At  the  sound 
of  His  voice,  seven  thunders  uttered  their  voices.  John 
was  commanded  not  to  write  the  things  which  these  voices 
uttered  ;  and  hence,  any  hypothesis  as  to  what  they  utter- 
ed would  seem  to  be  wholly  out  of  place.  Then  the 
glorious  Being,  who  stood  with  one  foot  on  the  sea  and  the 
other  on  the  land,  lifted  up  His  hand  to  heaven,  and  svvare 
"  that  there  should  be  time  no  longer,"  an  expression  which 
means,  and  should  have  been  translated,  as  critics  have 
satisfactorily  shown,  '  that  there  should  be  no  more  delay.' 
The  "  little  season"  which  the  martyrs  (ch.  vi.  11.)  were 
directed  to  wait,  during  which  their  number  was  to  be 
completed,  was  now  to  end.  Their  fellow  servants  and 
their  brethren  had  been  slain,  as  they  were,  by  the  perse- 
cuting Jews.  The  catastrophe  which  awaited  the  Jewish 
nation,  and  which  might  seem  to  have  been  delayed  by  the 
foregoing  anticipatory  and  preparatory  visions,  was  now 
immediately  to  take  place.  This  catastrophe,  we  are 
plainly  given  to  understand,  would  close  up  the  days  of  the 
sound  of  the  sixth  angel ;  i.  e.,  the  end  of  the  sixth  trum- 
pet marks  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish  persecuting  power. 
For  we  are  expressly  told  that  when  the  seventh  angel 
begins  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God — i.  e.,  His  secret  pur- 
poses respecting  Jewish  persecutors,  as  made  known  to  the 
prophets — shall  be  finished.  The  sounding  of  the  seventh 
trumpet  would  be  a  token  that  these  secret  purposes  of 
God,  respecting  Jewish    persecutors,    were    all    fulfilled. 


CHAPTER  X.  T7 

We  must  look  forward,  therefore,  to  the  sounding  of  the 
seventh  trumpet,  before  we  shall  arrive  at  the  close  of  this, 
the  first  act,  if  it  may  be  so  termed,  in  this  sacred  drama  ; 
and  to  the  close  of  the  Second  Part,  according  to  the  divi- 
sion  we  have  made  of  this  book,  viz.  ch.  xi.  14. 

But  that  the  Apocalyptist  might  not  be  left  to  suppose 
from  the  declaration  that  there  was  to  be  no  more  delay, 
and  that  the  mystery  of  God  wiis  now  to  be  fjiished — that 
the  seventh  seal,  and  of  course  the  prophecy  committed  to 
him,  was  now  finished — he  is  commanded  to  take  the  little 
book  which  was  in  the  hand  of  the  glorious  Person  who 
stood  with  one  foot  on  the  sea  and  the  other  on  the  land. 
It  was  a  symbolical  action,  designed  to  teach  John  that  his 
business  with  the  future  was  not  yet  done.  It  is  introdu- 
ced as  naturally  as  an  orator  or  an  advocate,  in  treating  of 
one  part  of  his  subject,  would  guard  against  an  inference, 
that  in  the  minds  of  his  hearers  might  operate  unfavour- 
ably upon  the  subsequent  argument.  Let  not  John,  and 
let  not  those  to  whom  the  Apocalypse  was  addressed,  sup- 
pose that  his  work  would  be  done  when  the  mystery  of 
God  spoken  of  should  be  finished  ;  lie  was  yet  to  prophesy 
<<  before  (rather,  according  to  the  natural  meaning  of  the 
original,  respecting)  many  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues, 
and  kings."  The  little  book  must,  therefore,  represent  what 
remained  of  the  seven-sealed  book  after  the  sounding  of  the 
sixth  trumpet ;  in  other  words,  it  contains  all  that  part  of 
the  revelation  made  to  John  subsequent  to  the  catastrophe 
of  the  Jewish  nation.  The  apostle  received  the  book,  and 
was  commanded  to  eat  it.  The  effect  of  eating  it  was 
evidently  designed  to  represent  that  the  knowledge  of  future 
events  was  the  occasion  both  of  sorrow  and  joy.  It  was 
very  pleasant  for  him  to  know  how  the  enemies  of  the 
church  would  be  destroyed,  and  Zion  would  be  prospered  ; 
but  this  knowledge  was  accompanied  by  that  of  an  opposite 
7* 


78  -  REVELATION. 

kind,  viz.,  that  corrupters  and  other  enemies  would  arise, 
who  would  be  permitted,  for  a  time,  to  take  away  the  purity 
and  peace  of  Christ's  church. 

After  this  brief  and  necessary  episode,  the  prophecy 
immediately  advances  to  the  close  of  the  first  catastrophe ; 
and  the  words  that  there  should  be  no  longer  delay,  are 
fulfilled. 


CHAPTER  XL 

1  And  there  was  giveji  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod :  and  the  angel  stood, 
saying,  Rise,  and  measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and 

2  them  that  worship  therein.  But  the  court  which  is  without  the 
temple,  leave  out,  and  measure  it  not ;  for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles :  and  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread   under  foot  forty  and  two 

3  months.  And  I  will  give  power  unto  my  two  witnesses,  and  they 
shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days,  clothed 

4  in  sackcloth.     These  are  the  two  .olive-trees,  and  the  two  candle- 

5  sticks  standing  before  the  God  of  the  earth.  And  if  any  man  will 
hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth  out  of  their  mouth,  and  devoureth  their 
enemies  :  and  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  he  must  in  this  manner  be 

6  killed.  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it^rain  not  in  the 
days  of  their  prophecy ;  and  have  power  over  waters  to  turn  them 
to  blood,  and  to  smite  the  earth  with  all  plagues,  as  often  as  they 

7  will.  And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony,  the  beast 
that  ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  shall  make  war  against 

8  them,  and  shall  overcome  them,  and  kill  them.  And  their  dead 
bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great  city,  which  spiritually  is 

9  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified.  And 
they  of  the  people,  and  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations,  shall 
see  their  dead  bodies  three  days  and  a  half,  and  shall  not  suffer  their 

10  dead  bodies  to  be  put  in  graves.  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth  shall  rejoice  over  them,  and  make  merry,  and  shall  send  gifts 
one  to  another ;  because  these  two  prophets  tormented  them  that 

11  dwelt  on  the  earth.  And  after  three  days  and  a  half  the  Spirit  of 
life  from  God  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their  feet;  and 

12  great  fear  fell  upon  them  which  saw  them.  And  they  heard  a  great 
voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  them.  Come  up  hither.  And  they 
ascended  up  to  heaven  in  a  cloud  ;  and  their  enemies  beheld  them 

13  And  the  same  hour  was  there  a  great  earthquake,  and  the  tenth 
part  of  the  city  fell,  and  in  the  earthquake  were  slain  of  men  seven 
thousand :  and  the  remnant  were  affrighted,  and  gave  glory  to  the 

14  God  of  heaven.  The  second  wo  is  past ;  and  behold,  the  third  wo 
Cometh  quickly. 

That  the  altar  and  temple,  here  spoken  of,  were  the 


80  REVELATION. 

Jewish  temple  and  altar,  and  that  the  holy  city,  and  the 
great  city,  "  where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified,"  was  Je- 
rusalem, is  sufficiently  evident.  With  such  a  passage 
before  us,  it  is  really  difficult  to  understand  how  the  opinion 
that  the  Apocalypse  was  written  long  after  the  destruction 
of  the  Jewish  city  and  temple,  should  have  been  so  preva- 
lent. By  the  Gentiles  treading  under  foot  the  holy  city 
forty  and  two  months,  must  be  meant  the  three  and  a  half 
years  during  which  Palestine  was  laid  waste  by  the  Roman 
army.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  to  understand  Jerusalem 
here,  by  a  common  figure  of  speech,  to  represent  the  whole 
Jewish  nation.  Vespasian  appears  to  have  received  from 
Nero  his  commission ;  i.  e.,  the  war  was  declared  (Lard- 
ner's  Jewish  Test.,  §  viii.)  the  first  part  of  Feb.,  A.D^  67  ; 
three  years  and  six  months  after,  viz.  the  10th  of  August, 
A.  D.  70,  Jerusalem  was  destroyed.  Here,  then,  we  have 
the  forty-two  months  in  question. 

The  two  witnesses,  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two 
candlesticks,  may  be  understood  of  teachers  in  the  Chris- 
tian church,  predicting  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
"  The  general  opinion  now  is,"  observes  Dr.  Bloomfield, 
"  that  this  does  not  relate  to  two  particular  persons,  but  to 
all  who  testify  to  the  truth — i.  e.,  profess  a  pure  religion." 
Doddridge  assigns  satisfactory  reasons  why  two,  and  but 
two,  witnesses  are  specified.  These  are  his  words — "  il- 
lustrated by  two,  as  that  concurring  number  was  necessary 
according  to  the  law,  to  make  the  testimony  valid  j  or  to 
intimate  that  their  number  should  be  small."  During  the 
invasion  of  Judea  for  42  months  or  1260  days,  they  were 
to  prophesy  "  clothed  in  sackcloth."  It  is  predicted  that 
God  would  marvellously  preserve  them,  amidst  scenes  of 
violence  and  bloodshed.  They  were  to  possess  power — to 
perform  the  most  astonishing  miracles — equal  to  any  per- 
formed by  Moses  and  Elijah,  and  other  ancient  prophets. 


CHAPTER  XI.  81 

The  death  of  the  two  witnesses,  by  the  beast  that  ascend- 
eth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  may  be  understood  as  a 
figurative  representation  of  the  flight  of  the  little  band  of 
Christian  disciples  to  Pella,  on  the  approach  of  Nero's 
forces  to  Jerusalem :  in  like  manner,  their  return  to  life  as 
their  going  forth  again,  after  the  invasion,  to  preach  the 
Gospel  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  with  power,  at 
a  time  when  their  pagan  enemies,  who  had  persecuted  them 
as  a  mere  sect  of  the  Jews,  should  suppose  they  had  been 
utterly  destroyed.  By  their  preaching, the  number  of  the 
disciples  would  be  increased,  and  thus  a  cloud  of  witnesses 
would  be  prepared  to  ascend  and  join  the  general  assembly 
and  church  of  the  First  Born. 

Thus  ends  the  Jewish  persecuting  power.  The  prayer, 
Come,  Lord  Jesus  !  was  now  answered.  There  was  a 
great  earthquake,  and  that  city  which  it  had  pleased  God 
to  distinguish  above  all  other  cities,  fell  to  rise  no  more. 
Some  of  the  inhabitants,  when  they  heard  the  call  of  the 
Spirit  and  the  Bride,  repaired  to  the  water  of  life,  and  re- 
ceived the  mark  of  God  in  their  foreheads.  But  alas  ! 
what  numbers  disregarded  the  warning  and  perished. 

THE    SECOND   WOE    IS   PAST. 


PART  THIRD. 


PAGAN     PERSECUTIONS,    AND    THE    END    OF    THE    PAGAN     PER- 
SECUTING  POWER CHAPS.    XI.   15.-XIII.   10., 

We  enter  now  upon  the  little  book,  which,  as  shown 
before,  was  designed  to  intimate  to  John  that  the  disclosures 
of  the  SEVENTH  SEAL  Were  not  yet  concluded.  It  may  be 
regarded  as  exactly  synchronizing  with  the  seventh  trum- 
pet, i,  e.  as  containing  all  that  remains  of  the  seven-sealed 
book.  Here,  let  it  be  observed,  that  as  the  seventh 
seal,  which  is  one  of  the  seven  divisions  of  the  sealed 
book,  contains  more  than  all  the  other  seals,  i.  e.  refers  to 
a  greater  number,  and  more  widely  distant  events  ;  so, 
also,  the  seventh  trumpet,  which  is  one  of  the  seven  di- 
visions of  the  seventh  seal,  contains  more  than  all  the 
Other  trumpets.  The  days  of  the  seventh  trumpet  extend 
to  the  end  of  the  revelation  made  to  John,  that  is,  to  the  end 
of  time,  and  the  consummation  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom. 
They  of  course  include  the  predictions  relative  to  the 
anti-Christian  powers  both  of  pagan  and  papal  Rome. 

15  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded ;  and  there  were  great  voices  in 
heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  king- 
doms of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ;  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever 

16  and  ever.     And  the  four  and  tw^Cnty  elders,  which  sat  before  God, 

17  on  their  seats,  fell  upon  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God,  Saying, 
We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  art,  and  wast, 
and  art  to  come  ;  because  thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy  great  power, 

18  and  hast  reigned.  And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is 
come,  and  the  time  of  the  dead,  that  they  should  be  judged,  and 


CHAPTER  XL  83 

that  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy  servants  the  prophets,  and 
to  the  saints,  and  them  that  fear  thy  name,  small  and  great: 
19  and  shouldest  destroy  them  which  destroy  the  earth.  And  the  tem- 
ple of  God  was  opened  in  heaven,  and  there  was  seen  in  his  temple 
the  ark  of  his  testament ;  and  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices, 
and  thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail. 

We  have  in  these  verses  a  sort  of  compendium,  or  table 
of  contents,  of  those  great  things  that  were  to  transpire 
"  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,"  the  par- 
ticulars of  v/hich  are  dilated  and  enlarged  upon  in  the 
remainder  of  this  book.  The  voices  in  heaven  proclaim- 
ing the  kingdoms  of  this  world  to  be  the  kingdom  of  our 
Lord,  are  evidently  to  be  understood  as  a  prediction  of  the 
latter  day  glory.  We  are  thus  carried  forward  at  once 
to  the  blessed  millennium,  without  a  particular  considera- 
tion of  the  events  preceding  and  conducting  to  it.  At  the 
same  time  the  four  and  twenty  elders  are  represented  as 
praising  and  glorifying  God  for  having  taken  to  himself 
his  great  power  in  the  establishment  of  the  gospel  king- 
dom. Next,  we  have  an  intimation  of  the  great  battle  of 
Gog  and  Magog, — '•  and  the  nations  were  angry," — and  of 
their  destruction, — "  and  thy  wrath  is  come."  An  allusion 
to  the  general  judgment,  and  the  recompense  of  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked  follows, — "  and  the  time  of  the  dead  that 
they  should  be  judged,  and  tbat  thou  shouldest  give  reward 
unto  thy  servants  the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  to 
them  that  fear  thy  name,  small  and  great,  and  shouldest 
destroy  them,  that  destroy  the  earth."  Such  is  the  table 
of  contents  of  the  little  book,  or  the  smaller  book,  so  called 
because  it  was  but  a  part  of  the  larger  one,  embracing 
those  events  only  which  fall  under  the  seventh  trumpet. 
In  other  words,  such  is  the  summary  view  which  is  given 
of  the  great  events  which  will  be  finished  when  the  days 
of  the  last  trumpet  expire ;  and  of  which  we  have  a  more 
enlarged  account,  as  well  as  of  the  steps  preceding  and 


84  REVELATION. 

conducting  to  them,  in  the  residue  of  this  book.  It  is  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  remarkable  method  and  sim- 
plicity which  characterize  the  writer's  plan.  We  shall 
perceive  that  he  goes  on,  with  the  utmost  precision,  and  a 
uniform  progress,  to  fill  up  this  plan. 


^ift 


PTER  XII. 


1  And  there  appeared  a  great  wonder  in  heaven ;  a  woman  clothed 
with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her  head  a 

2  crown  of  twelve  stars.     And  she,  being  with  child,  cried,  travailing 

3  in  birth,  and  pained  to  be  delivered.  And  there  appeared  another 
wonder  in  heaven  ;    and  behold,  a  great  red  dragon,  having  seven 

4  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  seven  crowns  upon  his  heads.  And  his 
tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  did  cast  them  to 
the  earth ;  and  the  dragon  stood  before  the  woman  which  was  ready 

5  to  be  delivered,  for  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born.  And 
she  brought  forth  a  man-child,  who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with  a 
rod  of  iron :    and  her  child  was  caught  up  unto  God,  and  to  his 

6  throne.  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  hath  a 
place  prepared  of  God,  that  they  should  feed  her  there  a  thousand 

7  two  hundred  and  threescore  days.  And  there  was  war  in  heaven : 
Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against  the  dragon ;  and  the  dragon 

8  fought  and  his  angels.    And  prevailed  not ;  neither  was  their  place 

9  found  any  more  in  heaven.  And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  out, 
that  old  serpent,  called  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  which  deceiveth  the 
whole  world :    he  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were 

10  cast  out  with  him.  And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  saying  in  heaven,  Now 
is  come  salvation,  and  strength,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and 
the  power  of  his  Christ :    for  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast 

]  1  down  which  accused  them  before  our  God  day  and  night.  And 
they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word  of 

13  their  testimony,  and  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the  death.  There- 
fore rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in  them.  Wo  to  the  in- 
habiters  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  sea !  for  the  devil  is  come  down  unto 
you,  having  great  wrath,  because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a 

13  short  time.  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto  the 
earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman  which  brought  forth  the  man  child. 

14  And  to  the  woman  were  given  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she 
might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place,  where  she  is  nourished 
for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent. 

15  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth  water  as  a  flood,  after  the 
woman,  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away  of  the  flood. 

16  And  the  earth  helped  the  woman ;  and  the  earth  opened  her  mouth, 

8 


86  REVELATION. 

and  swallowed  up  the  flood  which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth. 
17  And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to  make  war 
with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  whict^keep  the  commamdments  of 
God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus^irist. 

By  the  "  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,"  we  are  to  under- 
stand the  Church  of  God,  glorious  and  of  divine  origin ; 
with  the  moon  under  her  feet,  to  signify  the  conquest  which 
the  Church  should  gain  over  sublunary  things ;  and  upon 
her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars,  in  allusion' to  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel,  or  to  the  twelve  apostles,  by  whom  the 
Gospel  was  first  preached.  The  figure  in  the  second  verse 
refers  to  the  promised  increase  of  the  Church,  and  the  strug- 
gles by  which  this  increase  would  be  effected. 

We  are  to  understand  by  "  the  great  red  dragon,  having 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  seven  crowns  upon  his 
heads,"  Satan  as  animating  the  prince  or  ruler  of  a  peo- 
ple, "  who  were  to  answer,  in  a  remarkable  manner,  to 
these  mysterious  and  symbolical  characters" — the  pagan 
nation  of  Rome.  Seven  heads,  that  is,  placed  on  seven 
hills,  as  Rome  was  ;  ten  horns — the  divisions  of  the  Roman 
empire  ;  seven  crowns — afterwards  expounded  chap.  xvii. 
10,  to  be  seven  kings.  The  casting  down  of  the  third  part 
of  the  stars  of  heaven  may  be  understood,  as  was  explained 
of  similar  language  under  the  fourth  trumpet,  as  referring 
to  the  overthrow  of  the  republican  and  patriotic  rulers  of 
Rome  by  the  usurpers  of  monarclrical  authority.  This 
supposition  is  the  more  plausible,  inasmuch  as  by  the  great 
red  dragon  the  prophet  designed  particularly  to  describe 
the  despotic  government  of  Rome,  which,  after  having  de- 
spoiled the  people  of  many  of  their  civil  rights,  and  over- 
thrown institutions  which,  if  they  had  been  permitted  to 
remain,  would  probably  have  afforded  some  security  to 
Roman  citizens  professing  the  Christian  faith,  at  length 
directed  its  energies  to  exterminate  Christianity.     Enlight- 


CHAPTER  XII.  87 

ened  Christians  of  the  period  at  which  John  wrote,  would 
readily  identify  this  new  persecuting  power  as  being  the 
same  which  he  had  desoribed,  in  strict  regard  to  the  order 
of  time,  under  the  first  trumpets  ;  while,  at  the  same  time, 
the  informers  of  government  would  discover  no  cause  to 
accuse  him  of  seditious  purposes. 

The  dragon,  which  had  cast  down  the  third  part  of  the 
stars  of  heaven,  now  stands  before  the  woman.  That  is, 
the  agents  of  the  despotic  emperors  of  Rome,  by  constant 
surveillance,  were  ready  to  seize  and  destroy  any  of  the 
subjects  of  the  empire,  who  should  profess  the  religion  of 
Christ.  This  is  illustrated  by  an  evident  allusion  to  the 
attempt  of  the  Roman  power,  in  the  person  of  its  governor 
Herod,  to  destroy  the  child  Jesus,  and  thus  to  crush  the 
Christian  religion  at  its  birth. 

We  are  at  no  loss  in  understanding  the  import  of  the 
language  ''the  man  child  who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with 
a  rod  of  iron."  It  points  to  the  Messiah,  of  whom  it  .was 
predicted,  Ps.  ii.  9,  that  he  should  rule  over  the  nations, 
and  "  break  them  in  pieces  with  a  rod  of  iron."  The  Ro-* 
man  power  not  only  stood  ready  to  devour  him  at  his  birth, 
but  it  was  by  this  same  power,  as  the  instrument  of  the 
prince  of  darkness,  that  he  was  at  length  actually  brought 
to  the  cross.  "  His  being  caught  up  to  God  and  His 
throne,"  represents  the  ascension  of  Christ,  and  that  do- 
minion which  he  holds  as  King  of  nations,  and  it  accord- 
ingly proves  how  futile  will  be  all  the  efforts  of  the  most 
powerful  of  earthly  rulers,  and  of  the  prince  of  the  power 
of  the  air  himself,  to  destroy  the  Church  of  God  in  the 
world.  To  refer  what  is  said  of  the  man-child  to  Constan- 
tine,  as  the  first  converted  emperor  of  Rome,  as  some 
writers  have  done,  or  to  any  other  ruler,  on  the  ground 
that  Christ  rules  visibly  and  instrumentally,  by  rulers  and 
emperors,  must,  I  think,  in  the  estimation  of  the  candid, 


88  REVELATION. 

degrade  the  subject.  Moreover,  how  would  it  be  possible 
to  give  a  plausible  explanation  of  his  being  caught  up  to 
heaven?  Some  respectable  writers  have  even  doubted 
whether  Constantino  was  a  truly  converted  man  ;  and  have 
supposed  that  his  religion  was  that  of  mere  deism,  with 
little  or  no  addition  of  Christian  belief. 

The  apostle  now  proceeds  to  assure  the  seven  churches 
that  the  persecutions  from  pagan  Rome,  under  Nero,  would 
continue  but  a  short  time.  He  informs  them  how  long. 
We  are  to  understand  by  the  flight  of  the  woman  into  the 
wilderness,  the  Church  fleeing  to  a  place  of  security  dur- 
ing the  invasion  of  Palestine  by  the  Romans,  three  years 
and  a  half,  or  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  days.  In  the 
fourteenth  verse,  we  have  the  same  flight,  and  the  same 
period  of  exile  given — "time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time." 

The  passage,  vv.  7-13,  is  to  be  referred  to  the  rebellion 
of  the  angels  in  heaven,  their  fall,  and  continued  hostility 
to  the  Church  of  God  on  earth.  Dr.  Burton  renders  the 
words  which  are  translated  and  there  was  war  in  heaven, 
"  now  there  had  been  war  in  heaven."  He  thinks,  and  it 
appears  to  be  a  very  natural  supposition,  that  the  passage 
is  parenthetical,  and  relates  to  an  event  prior  to  that  in  the 
preceding  verses.  "  It  accounts,"  he  says,  "  for  the  hos- 
tility of  Satan  to  the  Church  of  Christ."  In  this  view,  also, 
Dr.  Bloomfield  professes  to  coincide.  Satan  and  his 
angels  being  cast  out  into  the  earth,  have  persecuted  the 
Church  of  God  in  all  ages.  By  the  hands  of  wicked  princes 
and  kings,  they  persecuted  the  primitive  Christians.  But 
they  conquered  by  the  power  of  Christ,  by  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb,  by  the  word  of  their  testimony,  which  they 
sealed  with  their  own  blood.  The  disciples  of  Christ  who 
had  not  already  left  Judea,  when  they  saw  the  Romans 
advancing  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  remembered  their  Lord's 
warning,  (see  Luke  xxi.  20,  *21.)  and  fled  beyond  the  Jor- 


CHAPTER  XII.        .  89 

dan,  and  took  refuge  in  an  obscure  town  in  the  wilderness. 
There  they  remained  until  Jerusalem,  as  shown  before,  had 
been  laid  waste  by  the  Romans.  It  was  thus  that  the 
earth  helped  the  woman  ;  her  Jewish  enemies  were  de- 
stroyed, and  a  place  of  protection  was  found  for  her  from 
the  wrath  and  malice  of  pagan  Rome. 

"  And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went 
to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  which  keep 
the  commandments  of  God  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
Christ."  The  expression  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  mani- 
festly  includes  other  Christians  besides  those  who  were  first 
the  objects  of  persecution.  They  are  said  to  have  the  tes- 
timony of  Jesus  Christ,  which  means  that  they  were  en- 
trusted with  the  keeping  or  preserving  of  the  Gospel  in  the 
earth.  The  passage  evidently  refers  to  the  persecution 
of  Christians  under  Domitian,  and  other  emperors  of 
Rome.  Ten  bloody  persecutions  were  carried  on  by  these 
emperors.  The  dragon  was  Satan  exciting  them  to  under- 
take the  extermination  of  the  Christian  religion  :  hence  it 
may  be  regarded  as  a  symbol  of  the  Roman  government 
as  administered  under  these  persecutors.  Nero,  who  first 
exercised  persecuting  power  against  the  disciples  of  Christ, 
will  be  found  more  distinctly  brought  to  view  in  that  por- 
.tion  of  the  following  chapter  which  belongs  to  this  part  of 
the  Apocalypse. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

1  And  I  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea,  and  saw  u  beast  rise  up  out 
of  the  sea,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his  horns 

3  ten  crowns,  and  upon  his  heads  the  name  of  blasphemy.  And  the 
beast  which  I  saw  was  hke  unto  a  leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as  the 
feet  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion :  and  the  dragon 

3  gave  him  his  power,  and  his  seat,  and  great  authority.  And  I  saw 
one  of  his  heads  as  it  were  wounded  to  death ;  and  his  deadly 
wound  was  healed:    and  all  the  world  wondered  after  the  beast. 

4  And  they  worshipped  the  dragon  which  gave  power  unto  the  beast : 
and  they  worshipped  the  beast,  saying.  Who  is  like  unto  the  beast'? 

5  who  is  able  to  make  war  with  him  1  And  there  was  given  unto 
him  a  mouth  speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies ;  and  power  was 

6  given  unto  him  to  continue  forty  and  two  months.  And  he  opened 
his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to  blaspheme  his  name,  and 

7  his  tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven.  And  it  was  given 
unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them :  and 
power  was  given  him  over  all  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations. 

8  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  worship  him,  whose  names 
are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  fonda- 

9  tion  of  the  world.     If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let  him  hear.     He  that 

10  leadeth  into  captivity  shall  go  into  captivity:  he  that  killeth  with 
the  sword,  must  be  killed  with  the  sword.  Here  is  the  patience 
and  the  faith  of  the  saints. 

What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  beast  which  John 
saw  rise  up  out  of  the  sea,  "  having  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  crowns  ?"  We  find  it  ex- 
plained, ch  xvii.  7 — 11.  An  angel  appeared  and  made 
known  to  John  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  the  beast 
that  carrieth  her.  "  The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains, 
on  which  the  woman  sitteth,  and  there  are  seven  kings." 
The  city  of  Rome  was  built  on  seven  hills.  ^'  Five  kings 
are  fallen :''  Julius  Caesar,  Augustus,  Tiberius,  Caligula, 
Claudius.     "  One  is."     Nero  was  emperor  at  the   time 


CHAPTER  XIII.  91 

John  was  writing.  John  had  an  angel  for  an  interpreter 
as  to  what  was  intended  by  the  beast  with  "  seven  heads 
and  ten  horns."  And  we  are  given  to  understand  that 
this  beast  was  the  imperial  magistracy  of  Rome.  Its  heads 
represent  not  merely  the  hills,  but  seven  kings,  andfare 
therefore  to  be  regarded  as  symbols  of  distinct  and  suc- 
cessive emperors.  Of  course  each  particular  emperor, 
during  the  period  of  his  reign,  must  be  regarded  as  the 
beast  itself.     For  the  time  being,  he  was  its  embodiment. 

This  beast  is  said  to  have  had  "  the  name  of  blas- 
phemy." The  emperors  of  Rome  assumed  divine  titles. 
They  permitted  temples  to  be  erected  to  them,  and  divine 
honors  to  be  paid  them.  This  was  true  both  of  Augustus 
and  Caligula.  Nero  was  called  Divus.  The  beast  is 
said  to  have  resembled  beasts  of  prey  of  the  most  ferocious 
kind,  to  indicate  with  what  blood-thirsty  cruelty  it  would 
seize  on  the  objects  of  its  wrath.  And  the  dragon,  that  is 
Satan,  gave  him  "his  power,  and  his  seat,  and  great 
authority."  The  emperors  of  Rome,  in  the  persecutions 
they  waged  against  Christians,  were  actuated  by  the  devil. 
Those  to  whom  the  classical  poets  of  antiquity  give  divine 
titles  and  worship  as  gods,  are  represented  by  the  apoca- 
lyptist  as  incarnate  fiends.  It  was  the  power  of  Satan 
which  they  exercised  ;  they  were  his  allies  and  instru- 
ments. 

John  next  describes  something  wonderful  as  happening 
to  one  of  the  heads  of  the  beast.  It  was  wounded  to  death ; 
but  its  deadly  wound  was  healed,  which  excited  the  wonder 
of  all  the  world.  This  language  has  also  been  interpreted 
as  referring  to  the  popular  belief  that  Nero  would  be  re- 
stored to  life,  or  would  reappear,  after  he  was  supposed  to 
have  been  dead,  to  reign  in  Rome.  But  the  more  natural 
interpretation  of  the  deadly  wound  of  the  beast  is  clearly 
this,  that  it  refers  to  the  subversion  of  the  Pagan  empire 


92  REVELATION. 

of  Rome.  Let  not  the  persecuted,  however,  conclude  ttiat, 
with  the  overthrow  of  this  power,  their  persecutions  would 
be  at  an  end.  The  deadly  wound  was  healed  ;  that  is,  they 
are  given  to  understand  that  the  Roman  power,  in  a  new 
form,  would  be  revived  and  preserved — with  somewhat  of  its 
original  ability  and  disposition  to  persecute  the  friends  of 
the  Gospel.  It  is  in  this  way,  that  one  part  of  the  Book 
of  Revelation  admirably  reflects  light  on  another.  The 
conclusion,  then,  evidently  is,  that  the  beast  which  rose  up 
out  of  the  sea  was  Pagan  Rome,  which  first  exercised  per- 
secuting power  against  the  disciples  of  Christ,  by  the 
infamous  tyrant  Nero. 

The  worship  of  Pagan  Rome  is  pronounced  to  be  the 
worship  of  Satan.  The  character  of  their  deities  was  a 
disgusting  compound  of  the  vilest  passions  and  the  weak- 
est foibles  of  depraved  nature.  If  they  were  worthy  of 
homage,  it  was  easy  to  transfer  the  same  even  to  so  vile  a 
person  as  Nero,  so  long  as  he  was  clothed  with  imperial 
authority,  or  the  opinion  that  he  would  return  and  resume 
his  power  had  any  hold  on  the  mind.  They  worshipped 
the  beast  in  the  persons  of  different  emperors  ;  as  mention- 
ed before,  they  even  erected  temples  to  their  honor,  and 
numbered  them  among  the  gods.  These  tyrants  so  em- 
ployed their  power,  as  to  fill  their  subjects  with  a  super- 
stitious dread.  The  national  feeling,  doubtless,  was  that 
no  nation  could  stand  before  the  armies  of  Rome.  The 
soldiers  carried  with  them  an  effigy  of  Nero,  to  which 
they  were  directed  to  pay  homage,  and  to  pray  for  success 
in  battle. 

To  the  beast,  i.  e.  to  Nero,  during  the  period  he  swayed 
the  sceptre  of  Rome,  it  was  given  to  speak  great  things  and 
blasphemies.  How  natural  it  was  for  him,  possessing,  as 
he  did,  absolute  power,  to  speak  contemptuously  of  Christ, 
and  to  boast  of  his  ability  to  destroy  the  new   sect,  or 


CHAPTER  XIII.  93 

faction,  as  he  might  please  to  term  it.  For  forty-two 
months  power  was  given  to  him  to  open  his  mouth  "  in  blas- 
phemy against  God,  to  blaspheme  His  name,  and  His  taber- 
nacle, and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven."  The  imprecation 
of  vengeance  which  this  bloody  persecutor  would  utter 
against  the  church,  and  the  God  of  the  church — at  the 
same  time  claiming  for  himsetf  divine  honors — was  the 
blasphemy  of  which  he  was  guilty.  But  the  power  to 
persecute,  and  to  wage  a  destructive  persecution,  was  the 
power  which  by  way  of  eminence  was  given  to  him — 
which  he  was  permitted,  by  God,  for  a  limited  and  specified 
time  to  exercise,  for  the  accomplishment  of  His  own  wise 
and  gracious  purposes.  The  vast  extent  of  the  dominions 
of  this  persecutor  is  expressed  by  the  language,  that  power 
loas  given  him  over  all  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations. 
It  was  no  ordinary  individual,  no  petty  prince,  but  a  mighty 
ruler,  whose  dominions  were  nearly  co-extensive  with  the 
boundaries  of  the  known  world,  who  was  here  pointed  out 
as  the  persecutor  of  those  v/ho  kept  the  commandments  of 
God.  He  was  viewed  with  superstitious  reverence  by 
these  nations,  who  all  stood  ready  to  carry  his  decrees  into 
execution.  Such  was  the  fierce  and  mighty  persecutor. 
He  commenced  his  bitter  and  bloody  persecution  of  Chris- 
tians— than  which  there  is  nothing  more  horrible  on  the 
pages  of  history — in  the  latter  part  of  Nov.,  A.D.  64.  His 
death  took  place,  and  the  persecution  ended,  on  the  9th  of 
June,  A.D.  68.  Here,  then,  we  have  the  period  of  the 
forty-two  months,  or  three  and  a  half  years.  "  If  any  man 
have  an  ear,  let  him  hear.  He  that  leadeth  into  captivity 
shall  go  into  captivity  ;  he  that  killeth  with  the  sword,  must 
be  killed  with  the  sword.  Here  is  the  patience  and  faith 
of  the  samts."  Tims  are  foretold  the  signal  judgments 
which  were  to  befall  the  beast,  or  the  persecuting  power,  of 
which  Nero  was  one  of  the  principal  representatives.     It 


94  REVELATION. 

is  a  striking  comment  on  this  passage,  that  Nero  actually 
fled  from  Rome,  with  the  view  of  concealing  himself 
from  his  enemies,  and  that  when  he  fell  into  their  hands, 
his  own  sword  was  the  weapon  which  inflicted  the  mortal 
wound.  Other  pagan  enemies  of  God  and  His  church 
were  as  remarkably  punished  and  tormented  as  they  tor- 
mented others.  It  was  the  assurance  that  God  would  thus 
become  their  vindicator,  which  afforded  consolation  to  those 
who  were  John's  companions  in  tribulation,  and  such 
faithful  Christians  as  were  called  to  suffer  during  the  ten 
persecutions.  They  needed  just  such  consolation  as  this 
assurance  afforded  j  for  their  faith  and  patience  were  to  be 
sorely  tried. 


PART  FOURTH. 

PAPAL    PERSECUTIONS   AND  ERRORS,   AND   THEIR    END 

CHAPS.  XIII.  11-XIX. 

We  come  now,  according  to  the  analysis  made  of  this 
book,  to  the  revelation  of  the  anti-Christian  power  of  Papal 
Rome,  and  the  end  of  that  power.  The  prophet  having 
finished  the  description  of  the  persecuting  power  of  Pagan 
Rome,  and  its  overthrow,  proceeds  to  predict  a  persecuting 
power  which  would  not  be  developed  until  long  after  the 
Christians,  for  whose  consolation  he  immediately  wrote, 
had  been  called  from  this  earthly  scene  to  their  account 
and  their  reward.  But  this,  nevertheless,  would  subserve 
to  fortify  and  console  their  minds,  because  the  destruction 
of  future  enemies  would  convince  or  remind  them  that  the 
church  is  dear  to  its  great  and  exalted  Head,  as  the  apple 
of  His  eye  ;  and  that  no  efforts  for  its  injury  will  ever 
prosper.  The  predictions,  on  which  we  now  enter,  are 
specially  interesting,  because  the  fulfilment  of  them  is,  in 
part,  still  future.  They  assure  us  of  the  glorious  deliver- 
ances which  God  will  accomplish  for  Zion,  the  city  of  our 
habitation;  and  that  portion  unfulfilled  occurs  in  a  series 
of  predictions  which,  up  to  a  certain  point,  have  been  sig- 
nally and  progressively  accomplished. 

11  And  I  beheld  another  beast  coining  up  out  of  the  earth ;  and  he  had 

12  two  horns  Hke  a  lamb,  and  he  spake  as  a  dragon.  And  he  exercis- 
eth  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast  before  him,  and  causeth  the  earth 
and  them  which  dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first  beast,  wliose 


96  REVELATION. 

13  deadly  wound  was  healed.  And  he  doeth  great  wonders,  so  that  he 
maketh  fire  come  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of 

14  men.  And  deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  the  means 
of  those  miracles  which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the  beast ; 
saying  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they  should  make  an 
image  to  the  beast,  which  had  the  wound  by  a  sword,  and  did  live. 

The  beast  which  represented  pagan  Rome  rose  up  out 
of  the  sea;  this  beast  having  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  came 
up  out  of  the  earth,  or  grew  up  out  of  the  earth,  with  the 
silent  and  gradual  progress  of  plants,  growing  out  of  the 
earth  ;  which  indicates  the  gradual  and  imperceptible 
manner  in  which  the  errors  of  popery  were  introduced. 
This  beast  had  the  appearance  of  a  lamb,  professed  to  have 
the  meekness  and  mildness  of  that  inoffensive  animal,  the 
name  of  which,  in  this  book,  is  frequently  applied  as  an 
expressive  symbol  of  the  true  Head  of  the  Church.  But 
although  he  had  the  outward  semblance  of  a  lamb,  he  had 
a  voice  like  the  dragon;  that  is,  he  resembled  the  "  Ro- 
man emperors  in  usurping  divine  titles  and  honors,  in  com- 
manding idolatry,  and  in  persecuting  and  slaying  the  true 
worshippers  of  God  and  faithful  servants  of  Jesus  Christ." 
And  he  exerciseth  all  the  jjoiver  of  the  first  heast.  Papal 
Rome  has  always  claimed  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual 
authority  ;  it  united,  as  observed  by  Whiston,  "  all  the 
distinct  kingdoms  of  the  Roman  empire,  and  by  joining 
with  them  procures  them  a  blind  obedience  from  their  sub- 
jects ;  and  so  it  is  the  occasion  of  the  preservation  of  the 
old  Roman  empire  in  §ome  kind  of  unity,  and  name,  and 
strength."  He  causeth  the  earth,  and  them  which  dwell 
therein,  to  worship  the  first  heast.  On  this  passage  there 
can  be  no  better  commentary  than  that  which  is  furnished 
in  Dr.  Middleton's  '•  Letter  from  Rome,  on  the  similarity 
between  Popery  and  Paganism."  This  learned  and  pol- 
ished writer  informs  us  that  the  object  of  his  visit  to  Rome, 
was  to  make  researches  into  some  branches  of  its  antiqui- 


CHAPTER  XIII.  97 

ties,  for  which  his  general  studies  had  given  him  a  parti- 
cular fondness,  and  that  it  was  his  resolution  to  spend  as 
little  time  as  possible  in  noticing  the  fopperies  and  ridicu- 
lous ceremonies  of  the  modern  religion  of  the  place.  In  a 
woid,  it  was  his  design  to  concern  himself  exclusively  with 
the  antiquities  of  ancient  pagan  Rome.  But  he  informs  us 
that  the  very  reason  which  he  thought  would  have  pre- 
vented him  from  noticing  the  religion  of  modern  Rome, 
was  the  chief  cause  that  led  him  to  pay  so  much  attention 
to  it;  "  for  nothing,"  to  use  his  own  language,  "  I  found, 
concurred  so  much  with  my  original  intention  of  convers- 
ing with  the  ancients,  or  so  much  helped  my  imagination 
to  fancy  myself  wandering  about  in  old  heathen  Rome, 
as  to  observe  and  attend  to  their  religious  worship;  all 
whose  ceremonies  appeared  plainly  to  have  been  copied 
from  the  rituals  of  primitive  paganism,  as  if  handed  down 
by  an  uninterrupted  succession  from  the  priests  of  old  to 
the  priests  of  new  Rome ;  whilst  each  of  them  readily  ex- 
plained and  called  to  mind  some  passage  of  a  classic  author, 
where  the  same  ceremony  was  described,  as  transacted  in 
the  same  form  and  manner,  and  in  the  same  place,  where 
I  now  saw  it  executed  before  my  eyes  ;  so  that  as  oft  as  I 
was  present  at  any  religious  exercises  in  their  churches,  it 
was  more  natural  to  fancy  myself  looking  on  at  some 
solemn-  act  of  idolatry  in  old  Rome,  than  assisting  at  a 
worship  instituted  on  the  principles,  and  formed  upon  the 
plan  of  Christianity." 

Dr.  M.  proceeds  to  mention  a  number  of  popish  cere- 
monies, and  to  show  that  they  had  their  origin  in  those  of 
pagan  Rome.  The  use  of  incense  or  perfumes,  of  holy 
water,  of  lamps  and  wax  candles,  of  pictures  and  votive 
offerings,  are  customs  all  borrowed  from  the  heathen. 
The  very  composition  of  this  holy  water  was  the  same 
among  the  heathen  as  it  is  now  among  the  papists,  being 

9 


98  REVELATION. 

nothing  more  than  a  mixture  of  salt  with  common  water ; 
and  the  form  of  the  sprinkling  brush  the  same  as  that 
which  the  priests  now  make  use  of.  He  describes  the 
last  scene  and  finishing  act  of  genuine  idolatry  in  crowds 
of  bigoted  votaries,  prostrating  themselves  before  some 
image  of  wood  or  stone,  and  paying  divine  honors  to.  an 
idol  of  their  own  erecting.  He  justifies  his  use  of  the 
term  idolatry,  by  quoting  the  language  of  Jerome,  that  "  by 
idols,  are  to  be  understood  the  images  of  the  dead."  And 
he  shows  that  the  church  of  Rome,  in  its  present  practice, 
has  found  means,  by  a  change  only  of  name,  to  retain  the 
same  thing ;  and  that  by  substituting  saints  in  the  place  of 
the  old  demi-gods,  this  church  has  set  up  idols  of  their 
own,  instead  of  those  of  their  forefathers.  He  even  main- 
tains that  the  statues  which  the  old  Romans  erected  to  the 
honor  of  their  deities  have  not,  in  all  cases,  been  removed, 
but  have  been  retained,  consecrated  anew  by  the  impo- 
sition of  a  Christian  name.  In  the  church  of  St.  Agnes 
an  antique  statue  of  a  young  Bacchus  was  shown  him, 
which  was  worshipped  under  the  title  of  a  female  saint. 
It  is  added,  in  a  note,  that  "  an  image  now  standing  at 
Rome,  and  adored  as  that  of  St.  Peter,  was  once  an  im- 
age of  Jupiter.  The  name  has  been  changed,  but  the 
substance  and  form  remain  the  same."  The  Pantheon,  a 
heathen  temple,  which  of  old  was  dedicated  to  Jupiter  and 
all  the  gods,  was  reconsecrated  by  Boniface  the  Fourth,  to 
the  Virgin  and  all  the  saints.  "  It  is  just  the  same,"  Mid- 
dleton  continues,  "  in  all  the  other  heathen  temples  that 
still  remain  in  Rome  ;  they  have  only  pulled  down  one 
idol  to  set  up  another,  and  changed  rather  the  name  than 
the  object  of  their  worship.  Thus  the  little  temple  of 
Vesta,  near  the  Tiber,  mentioned  by  Horace,  is  now  pos- 
sessed by  the  Madonna  of  the  Sun  ;  that  of  Fortuna  Viri- 
lis,  by  Mary  the  Egyptian ;   that  of  Saturn,  where  the 


CHAPTER  XIII.  99 

public  treasure  was  ancieiltly  kept,  by  St.  Adrian  ;  that 
of  Romulus  and  Remus,  in  the  Via  Sacra,  by  two  other 
brothers,  Cosmos  and  Damianus;  that  of  Antonine  the 
godly,  by  Laurence  the  saint.  But  for  my  part,  I  should 
sooner  be  tempted  to  prostrate  myself  before  the  statue  of 
a  Romulus  or  an  Antonine,  than  that  of  a  Laurence  or  a 
Damian  ;  and  give  divine  honors  rather  with  pagan  Rome, 
to  the  founders  of  empires,  than  with  popish  Rome,  to  the 
founders  of  monasteries."  Again  he  says,  "  In  their 
very  priesthood  they  have  contrived,  one  would  think,  to 
keep  up  as  near  a  resemblance  as  they  could  to  that  of 
pagan  Rome  ;  and  the  sovereign  pontiff,  instead  of  deri- 
ving his  succession  from  St.  Peter,  (who,  if  ever  he  was  at 
Rome,  did  not  reside  there  at  least  in  any  v/orldly  pomp 
and  .splendor,)  may,  with  more  reason,  and  a  much  better 
plea,  style  himself  the  successor  of  Pontifex  Maximus,  or 
chief  priest  of  old  Rome,  whose  authority  and  dignity  was 
Ihe  greatest  in  the  republic."  "  The  great  variety  of  their 
religious  orders  and  societies  of  priests,  seems  to  have  been 
formed  upon  the  plan  of  the  old  colleges  or  fraternities  of 
the  Augurs,  Pontifices,  Salii,  Fratres  Arvales,  &c."  This 
conformity  between  the  rites  and  usages  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church,  and  the  ritual  of  ancient  heathen  Rome, 
was  encouraged  and  promoted  by  the  popes  and  fathers  of 
that  church,  in  order  to  conciliate  the  heathen,  and  ac- 
commodate Christianity  to  their  habits  and  wishes.  Mo- 
sheim,  speaking  of  the  fourth  century,  says,  "  The  Chris- 
tian bishops  introduced,  with  but  slight  alterations,  into  the 
Christian  worship,  those  rites  and  institutions  by  which 
formerly  the  Greeks,  Romans,  and  other  pagans,  had 
manifested  their  reverence  towards  their  imaginary  dei- 
ties ;  supposing  that  the  people  would  more  readily  embrace 
Christianity,  if  they  perceived  the  rites  handed  down  to 
them  from  their  fathers  still  existing   unchanged  among 


100  REVELATION. 

the  Christians,  and  saw  that  Ohrist  and  the  martyrs  were 
worshipped  in  the  same  manner  as  formerly  their  gods 
were.  There  was  of  course  little  difference  in  these  times 
between  the  public  worship  of  the  Christians  and  that  of 
the  Greeks  and  Romans.  In  both  there  were  splendid 
robes,  mitres,  tiaras,  wax  tapers,  crosiers,  processions, 
lustrations,  images,  gold  and  silver  vases,  and  innumerable 
other  things  alike." 

The  first  beast  here  mentioned,  to  whom  worship  was 
constrained  by  the  beast  that  came  up  out  of  the  earth,  is, 
by  the  expression,  whose  deadly  loound  was  healed,  clearly 
identified  with  the  beast,  mentioned  ch.  xiii.  1-3,  which 
rose  up  out  of  the  sea.  And  this  reference,  or  allusion, 
confirms  the  interpretation  there  given  of  the  healing  of  the 
deadly  wound,  as  designed  to  prefigure  the  revival  and 
preservation  of  the  Roman  power,  in  a  new  form,  but  with 
somewhat  of  its  original  ability  and  disposition  to  persecute 
and  injure  the  cause  of  the  Redeemer  in  the  world.  The 
beast  that  had  a  wound  by  the  sword  and  did  live,  survived, 
in  the  image  that  was  made  to  him,  and  was  worshipped  by 
men,  precisely  as  the  beast  himself  had  been  worshipped. 

In  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  verses,  it  is  foretold  that 
this  new  beast — by  which  we  understand  Papal  Rome — 
would  profess  to  work  miracles.  Instances  are  cited,  by 
interpreters,  in  which  fire  was  pretended  to  have  been 
brought  from  heaven  by  those  whom  the  Romish  church 
canonizes  as  saints.  There  may  be  allusion,  it  has  also 
been  supposed,  to  excommunications,  which  are  called  the 
thunders  of  the  church,  and  which  are  accompanied  by  the 
ceremony  of  casting  down  burning  torches  from  an  elevated 
place,  as  symbols  and  emblems  of  fire  from  heaven.  The 
Roman  Catholic  church  makes  great  boast,  even  to  this 
da)'',  of  its  miracles,  and  on  this  ground  lays  claim  to  being 
considered   the  only   true  church  ;   but  this  pretence,    it 


CHAPTER  Xlll.  101 

is  here  foretold,  would  be  proof  of  a  false  or   apostate 
church. 

15  And  he  had  power  to  give  life  unto  the  image  of  the  beast,  that  the 
image  of  the  beast  should  both  speak,  and  cause  that  as  many  as 

16  would  not  worship  the  image  of  the  beast  should  be  killed.  And 
he  causeth  all,  both  small  and  great,  rich  and  poor,  free  and  bond, 

17  to  receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand,  or  in  their  foreheads  :  And 
that  no  man  might  buy  or  sell,  save  he  that  had  the  mark,  or  the 

18  name  of  the  beast,  or  the  number  of  his  name.  Here  is  wisdom. 
Let  him  that  hath  understanding  count  the  number  of  the  beast : 
for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man  ;  and  his  number  is  Six  hundred  three- 
score and  six. 

What  are  we  to  understand  by  "  the  image  of  the 
beast."  Plainly,  as  before  intimated,  this  refers  to  the 
popedom,  or  to  the  Pope  himself,  as  the  living  representa- 
tive of  this  spiritual  usurpation.  Without  the  office,  or  a 
regular  succession  of  claimants  thereto,  the  usurpation 
would  of  course  have  no  existence.  By  the  temporal  au- 
thority which  the  Pope  by  assuming  perpetuates,  and  by 
preserving  the  old  spirit  of  intolerance  and  cruelty,  as  well 
as  the  idolatrous  ritual  of  pagan  Rome,  he  may  be  said  to 
be  an  image  to  the  beast  which  had  the  wound  by  a  swordj 
and  did  live.  This  image  of  the  beast  speaks ;  i.  e., 
utters  his  decretals,  excommunications,  and  sentences  of 
death,  and  has  power  to  put  them  into  execution.  Ir?  a 
word,  he  succeeds  to  the  same  arbitrary  sway  which  the 
emperors  of  Rome  possessed  in  the  heathen  world.  In  the 
sixteenth  verse,  there  is  an  allusion  to  an  ancient  custom 
by  which  slaves  received  the  mark  of  their  masters,  and 
soldiers  of  their  commanders,  by  some  letter  or  character 
on  their  right  hands,  or  their  foreheads,  designed  to  show 
the  strict  and  abject  servitude  to  which  the  Pope  would 
bring  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  small  and  great.  All 
who  had  not  the  mark  of  the  beast — that  is,  would  not  own 
subjection  to  him — were  to  be  deprived  of  political  privi- 


102  REVELATION. 

leges,  and  even  prohibited  from  traffic  and  commerce.  In 
fulfillment  of  this,  it  is  related  that,  during  the  reign  of 
William  the  conqueror,  none  but  avowed  Roman  Catho- 
lics, among  his  subjects,  were  permitted  to  buy  and  sell. 
Pope  Alexander  III.  published  an  edict  in  which  he  pro- 
hibited, upon  pain  of  anathema,  any  Roman  Catholic  from 
showing  kindness  or  favor  to  the  Waldenses  and  Albigenses, 
and  from  trading  with  them.  Under  the  same  Pope,  the 
synod  of  Tours,  in  France,  ordered  that  "  no  man  should 
presume  to  receive  or  assist  them,  nor  hold  any  communi- 
cation with  them  in  selling  and  buying."  In  a  bull,  by 
Pope  Martin  V.,  after  the  council  of  Constance,  his  subjects 
were  commanded  not  to  permit  the  heretics  to  own  houses, 
or  enter  into  contracts,  or  carry  on  commerce.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  a  similar  edict,  as  noticed  by  the 
learned  Joseph  Mede,  was  published  by  the  pagan  emperor 
Dioclesian,  in  the  bloody  persecution  he  carried  on  against 
the  Christians.  It  was  thus  that  the  beast  with  two  horns, 
like  a  lamb,  "  spake  as  a  dragon ;"  it  was  thus  that  the 
beast  -with  the  deadly  wound  revived,  and  made  his  power 
felt  once  more. 

The  prophet  now  proceeds  to  give  the  number  of  the 
name  of  the  beast,  or  to  express  it  in  numerals,  according 
to  a  method  practised  by  the  ancients.  As  in  English  we 
often  express  numbers  by  the  Roman  letters,  so  the  letters 
of  the  alphabet,  in  the  language  in  which  this  book  was 
written,  stand  for  numbers.  In  that  portion  of  the  Intro- 
duction to  this  work,  which  relates  to  the  date  of  the 
Apocalypse,  a  passage  was  quoted  from  Irenosus  (Cont. 
Haeres,  v.  30,)  in  which  he  argues,  that  nothing  should 
be  rashly  affirmed  in  determining  who  was  pointed  out  by 
the  number  666  ;  for  if  it  had  been  important  clearly  to 
have  published  his  name,  without  any  mystical  expressions, 
at  that  time,  it  would  have  been  done  by  John  himself. 


CHAPTER  XIII.  103 

He  refers  to  the  fact,  that  the  number  of  this  name  may 
be  made  to  agree  with  a  variety  of  names ;  but,  at  the 
same  time,  he  speaks  of  it  as  undoubtedly  expressing  the 
nam^of  anti-Christ.  After  these  cautions  against  those 
fanciful  interpretations,  which  might  be  made  out  from  the 
number  666,  he  mentions  several  names  as  answering  to 
this  number.  Among  them,  he  gives  that  of  AA  TEIN02, 
Lateinus ;  i.  e.  Latin ;  as  very  probably  containing  it. 
Taking  the  letters  in  their  order,  and  giving  them  their 
value,  according  to  the  system  of  notation  in  use  among  the 
Greeks,  we  have  30+1+300+5+10+50+70+200-666. 
It  becomes  us  to  imitate  the  modest  caution  of  Irenoeus ; 
but  it  has  been  well  remarked  by  Mr.  Pyle,  in  his  Para- 
phrase, as  quoted  by  Bishop  Newton,  that  "  no  other  word 
in  any  language,  can  be  found  to  express  both  the  same 
number  and  the  same  thing."  After  the  division  of  the 
empire,  the  people  of  the  church  of  Rome  were  called 
Latins.  And  to  the  present  day  that  church  is  not  unfre- 
quently  called  the  Latin  church.  And,  as  has  been  very 
pointedly  observed,  no  other  name  can  be  more  appropriate, 
for  with  them  every  thing  is  turned  into  Latin.  Prayers, 
hymns,  canons,  bulls,  were  all  written  in  Latin,  Mass  is 
said,  and  the  Scriptures  are  read,  in  Latin.  The  council 
of  Trent  even  declared  the  Latin  translation  to  be  the  only 
authentic  version  of  the  Scriptures. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

1  And  1  looked,  and  lo,  a  Lamb  stood  on  the  mount  Sion,  and  with  him 
an  hundred  forty  and  four  thousand,  having  his  Father's  name  writ- 

2  ten  in  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the  voice 
of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder :  and  I  heard  the 

.'^  ■«'oice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps.  And  they  sung  as  it  were 
a  new  song  before  the  throne,  and  before  the  four  beasts,  and  the 
elders :  and  no  man  could  learn  that  song  but  the  hundred  and  forty 

^  and  four  thousand,  which  were  redeemed  from  the  earth.  These  are 
they  which  were  not  defiled  with  women ;  for  they  are  virgins.  These 
are  they  which  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth.  These 
were  redeemed  from  among  men,  being  the  first-fruits  unto  God  and 

5  to  the  Lamb.  And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no  guile :  for  they  are 
without  fault  before  the  throne  of  God, 

In  this  chapter,  the  prophet  records  the  glorious  vision 
ci  the  true  Lamb  on  Mount  Zion,  and  the  worship  rendered 
mm  by  the  hundred  forty  and  four  thousand.  The  scene 
c  most  evidently  laid  in  heaven,  for  as  the  voice  of  the 
wiany  waters  and  the  voice  of  the  harpers,  which  John 
."^ard,  came  from  that  world,  it  would  be  altogether  gratui- 

is  to  suppose,  that,  by  Mount  Sion,  is  here  meant  the 
earthly  Zion.  Moreover,  the  144,000,  before  explained 
as  referring  to  the  Jews  who  were  converted  to  Christ  pre- 
vious to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  are  represented  as 
singing  before  the  throne  of  God  the  new  song.  Of  course 
it  must  be  supposed  that  they  were  all  deceased.  This 
proves  that  this  part  of  the  revelation  refers  to  a  period 
considerably  posterior  to  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish  na- 
tion, and  is  fatal  to  the  theory  of  those  interpreters  who 
regard  the  persecutions  foretold  in  this  connexion,  as  being 
those  which  were  inflicted  by  the  pagan  emperors  of  Rome. 
After  the  melancholy  picture  in  the  predictions  of  the  apos- 


CHAPTER  XIV.  105 

tacy  and  corruptions  of  the  church  of  Rome,  represented 
by  a  beast  which  had  the  appearance  of  a  lamb,  the  apoca- 
lyptist  is  permitted  to  have  this  vision  (and  blessed  also  is 
he  that  readeth  the  words  of  this  prophecy  !)  of  the  en- 
throned and  conquering  Son  of  God,  and  to  listen  to  the 
new  song  sung  before  the  throne.  The  scene  of  bliss  and 
purity  presented  to  his  enraptured  eye,  stands  in  striking 
contrast  with  the  deceits  and  corruptions  of  the  apostate 
church  of  Rome.  And  how  admirably  adapted  was  this 
vision  of  the  victory  and  felicity  of  the  144,000,  once  ex- 
posed to  the  bitter  hostility  of  Jewish  and  pagan  persecu- 
tors,  (for  they  were  exposed  to  both,)  to  strengthen  the  faith 
and  impart  comfort  to  the  few  Christians  who  should  keep 
the  commandments  of  God  in  the  midst  of  papal  enemies  ! 
As  in  former  parts  of  this  precious  book,  in  the  midst  of 
predictions  of  the  darkest  times,  glimpses  are  given  of  a 
brighter  day,  so  here  the  prophecy  is  momentarily  arrested 
to  give  a  reassurance  of  ultimate  victory. 

6  And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  ever- 
lasting gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to 

7  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people.  Saying  with  a 
loud  voice.  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  him;  for  the  hour  of  his 
judgment  is  come :  and  worship  him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth, 
and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters. 

By  the  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven,  having 
the  everlasting  Gospel  to  preach,  we  have  a  figurative  re- 
presentation of  the  future  spread  and  ultimate  triumph  of 
the  Gospel.  Occurring  as  it  does  in  the  midst  of  predic- 
tions which  relate  to  the  corruptions  and  abuses  of  Rome, 
how  it  must  have  animated,  and  may  still  serve  to  animate, 
the  faith  of  God's  people  ! 

8  And  there  followed  another  angel,  saying.  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen, 
that  great  city,  because  she  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine  of  the 
wrath  of  her  fornication. 


106  REVELATION. 

Ancient  Babylon  was  one  of  the  most  splendid  and  power- 
ful of  heathen  cities.  It  was  to  this  city  that  God's  chosen 
people  were  carried  captive,  and  where  they  were  greatly 
oppressed.  It  was  the  capital  of  a  vast  empire,  the  reli- 
gion of  which  was  idolatry,  and  the  government  of  which 
was  in  the  hands  of  a  single  despot,  whose  arbitrary  will, 
both  in  respect  to  civil  affairs,  and  the  idols  which  the  peo- 
ple might  worship,  was  the  supreme  law.  How  appropri- 
ate an  emblem  of  Rome  was  this  powerful  city  !  By  the 
symbol  of  the  second  angel  following,  "  saying,  Babylon  is 
fallen,  is  fallen,"  we  have  a  prediction  of  the  end  of  the 
papal  persecuting  power ;  and  the  language  in  which  it  is 
expressed,  is  designed  to  set  forth  the  certainty  of  its  fulfil- 
ment. So  inevitable  is  its  fall,  that  the  angel  speaks  of  it 
as  already  fallen.*  Mystical  Babylon  was  a  fallen  city 
when  the  divine  decree  went  forth,  that,  on  account  of  her 
abominations,  she  should  fall.  This  prediction  of  the  end 
is  very  naturally  here  introduced  to  prepare  the  way 
for  the  revelation  of  those  judgments  by  which  it  is  to  be 
brought  about. 

9  And  the  third  angel  followed  them,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  If  any 
man  worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  receive  his  mark  on  his  fore- 

10  head,  or  in  his  hand,  The  same  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  God,  which  is  poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  in- 
dignation :  and  he  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the 

11  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb:  And 
the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever;  and  they 
have  no  rest  day  nor  night,  who  worship  the  beast  and  his  image, 

12  and  whosoever  receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name.  Here  is  the  pa- 
tience of  the  saints :  here  are  they  that  keep  the  commandments  of 

13.  God,  and  the  faith  of  Jesus.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven, 
saying  unto  me.  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord 
from  henceforth :  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their 
labours ;  and  their  works  do  follow  them. 

In  these  verses  are  foretold  the  future  everlasting  mise- 
ries of  those  who  consent  to  serve  the  beast,  or  See  of  Rome. 


CHAPTER   XIV.  107 

It  is  here  taught  not  only  that  the  wrath  of  God  will  be 
poured  out,  without  any  alleviation,  on  them,  but  by  ex- 
pressions which  cannot  be  mistaken,  it  is  taught  that  their 
torment  will  be  eternal.  But  how  different  would  be  the 
lot  of  those  that  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  the 
faith  of  Jesus  !  And  how  suited  it  was  to  encourage  the 
tried  and  persecuted  servants  of  God,  to  hold  out  in  their 
patience,  when  John  was  commanded  to  write  what  was 
said  to  him  by  a  voice  from  heaven.  Blessed  are  the  dead, 
&c..  words  which  declare  the  blessedness  of  those  who  die 
in  the  Lord,  especially  such  as  die  martyrs  for  the  truth. 

14  And  I  looked,  and  behokl,  a  white  cloud,  and  upon  the  cloud  one 
sat  like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  having  on  his  head  a  golden  crown, 

15  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle.  And  another  angel  came  out  of  the 
temple,  crying  with  a  loud  voice  to  him  that  sat  on  the  cloud.  Thrust 
in  thy  sickle,  and  reap :  for  the  time  is  come  for  thee  to  reap ;  for 

16  the  harvest  of  the  earth  is  ripe.     And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud 

17  thrust  in  his  sickle  on  the  earth ;  and  the  earth  was  reaped.  And 
another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple  which  is  in  heaven,  he  also 

18  having  a  sharp  sickle.  And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  altar, 
which  had  power  over  fire :  and  cried  with  a  loud  cry  to  him,  that  had 
the  sharp  sickle,  saying,  Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sickle,  and  gather  the 

19  clusters  of  the  vine  of  the  earth ;  for  her  grapes  are  fully  ripe.    And 
■  the  angel  thrust  in  his  sickle  into  the  earth,  and  gathered  the  vine 

of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great  wuie-press  of  the  wrath  of 

20  God.  And  the  wine-press  was  trodden  without  the  city,  and  blood 
came  out  of  the  wine-press,  even  unto  the  horse-bridles,  by  the 
space  of  a  thousand  and  six  hundred  furlongs. 

To  make  a  still  deeper  impression,  and  that  the  assu- 
rance of  God's  persecuted  ones  might  be  made  doubly 
sure,  we  have  here  another  symbol,  designed  to  teach  the 
same  thing  as  before,  viz.,  the  destruction  of  the  beast  that 
grew  up  from  the  earth,  in  appearance  like  a  lamb. 
Christ  is  described  as  coming  in  person,  throned  upon  a 
cloud,  with  a  golden  crown  on  his  head,  and  a  sharp 
sickle  in  his  hand.     The  imagery  of  a  harvest  and  a  vin- 


108  REVELATION. 

tage  refer  to  terrible  judgments.  Tne  earth  is  described 
as  reaped,  the  good  grain  to  be  gathered  into  the  heavenly 
store-house,  the  tares  to  be  burned  in  everlasting  fire. 
The  clusters  of  the  vine  are  also  gathered,  and  cast  into 
the  great  wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God.  This  is  a  fa- 
vorite figure  of  the  prophets  to  denote  suffering,  and  the 
judgments  of  heaven.  It  is  said  that  "  blood  came  out  of 
the  wine-press  even  unto  the  horse-bridles,  by  the  space 
of  a  thousand  and  six  hundred  furlongs."  A  great 
slaughter,  we  should  naturally  infer  from  the  figure  here 
employed,  will  attend  the  overthrow  of  the  papal  persecu- 
ting power.  "  The  city,"  must  be  mystical  Babylon,  i.  e. 
Rome.  This  slaughter  would  extend  far  beyond  its  walls. 
This  general  idea  is  perhaps  all  that  was  meant  to  be  con- 
veyed, by  the  space  here  given,  sixteen  hundred  furlongs. 
But  it  has  been  observed  by  Mede  that  the  Staio  delta 
Chiesa,  or  the  territory  of  the  church,  over  which  the  pope 
is  the  acknowledged  temporal  head,  extending  from  the 
city  of  Rome  to  the  banks  of  the  Po  and  the  marshes  of 
Verona,  contains  200  Italian  miles,  equal  to  1,600  fur- 
longs. The  judgments  here  foretold,  it  cannot  be  doubted, 
are  to  fall  in  a  peculiar  manner  on  this  territory. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

1  And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  marvellous,  seven 
angels  having  the  seven  last  plagues;  for  in  them  is  filled  up  the 

2  wrath  of  God.  And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  sea  of  glass  mingled  with 
fire ;  and  them  that  had  gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast,  and  over 
his  image,  and  over  his  mark,  and  over  the  number  of  his  name, 

3  stand  on  the  sea  of  glass,  having  the  harps  of  God.  And  they  sing 
the  song  of  Moses  the  servant  of  Go  J,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb, 
saying.  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty , 

4  just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints.  Who  shall  not 
fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name  1  for  thou  only  art  holy: 
for  all  nations  shall  come  and  worship  before  thee ;  for  thy  judg- 

5  ments  are  made  manifest.  And  after  that  I  looked,  and  behold,  the 
temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony  in  heaven  was  opened: 

6  And  the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the  temple,  having  the  seven 
plagues,  clothed  in  pure  and  white  linen,  "and  having  their  breasts 

7  girded  with  golden  girdles.  And  one  of  the  four  beasts  gave  unto 
the  seven  angels  seven  golden  vials  full  of  the  wrath  of  God,  who 

8  liveth  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the  temple  was  filled  with  smoke 
from  the  glory  of  God,  and  from  his  power;  and  no  man  was  able 
to  enter  into  the  temple,  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angels 
were  fulfilled. 

Here  commences  the  vision  of  the  seven  vials,  contain- 
ing the  seven  last  plagues,  which,  when  poured  out,  would 
complete  the  destruction  of  the  kingdom  of  the  beast,  or  the 
empire  of  anti-Christ.  As  the  seven  trumpets  are  inclu- 
ded under  the  seventh  seal,  so  the  seven  vials  are  included 
under  the  seventh  trumpet. 

But  the  main  subject  of  this  chapter  is  a  preparatory- 
vision  of  the  happiness  and  victory  of  those  who,  in  life- 
time, had  refused  to  submit  to  the  authority  of  the  beast, 
and  had  consequently  been  persecuted  by  him.  The  de- 
sign of  its  introduction  here,  is  similar  to  that  of  the  vision 


110  REVELATION. 

of  the  144,000,  noticed  ch.  xiv.  1-5,  namely,  to  throw 
light  into  the  dark  picture,  and  to  animate  and  console  tlie 
afflicted  people  of  God.  This  victorious  company  were 
standing  on  a  sea  of  glass,  or  on  an  extended  pavement, 
resembling  clear  glass,  variegated  with  a  red  or  fiery 
color.  They  had  the  harps  of  God  in  their  hands,  and 
they  sung  the  song  of  Moses,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb — 
"  Thou  only  art  holy ;  for  all  nations  shall  come  and  wor- 
ship before  thee ;  for  thy  judgments  are  made  manifest." 

John  next  sees  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testi- 
mony in  heaven  opened,  and  the  seven  angels  come  out 
arrayed  in  pure  white  linen,  with  golden  girdles.  And 
one  of  the  four  living  creatures  gave  to  each  of  them  a 
golden  vial. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

1  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  saying  tc»  the  seven 
angels,  Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials  of  the  vk^rath  of  God 
upon  the  earth. 

The  seven  vials  poured  out  is  the  subject  of  this  chap- 
ter. They  were  designed  to  predict  the  judgments  and 
ruin  that  were  to  befall  papal  Rome  ;  they  were  "  full  of 
the  wrath  of  God,  who  liveth  forever  and  ever."  A  voice 
out  of  the  temple,  i.  e.  the  voice  of  the  invisible  God,  com- 
manded the  seven  angels  to  go  and  "  pour  out  the  vials  of 
the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  earth." 

2  And  the  first  went,  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  earth ;  and 
there  fell  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon  the  men  which  had 
the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  upon  them  which  worshipped  his 
image. 

The  abandoned  degeneracy  of  the  popish  clergy  may 
very  naturally  be  understood  as  foretold  under  the  figure 
of  "  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore."  The  idolatry  of  the 
men'that  worshipped  the  beast  was  punished  by  the  vices 
and  exactions  of  those  whom  they  credulously  followed  as 
spiritual  guides.  In  order  to  obtain  the  intercessions  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  or  some  pretended  saint,  the  people  were 
required  to  bring  money,  fowls,  eggs,  wax,  butter,  and 
every  thing  that  was  of  any  value  to  the  priests.  Relics 
were  introduced  to  increase  the  revenues  of  bishops  and 
monks.  In  one  place  a  seller  of  indulgences  might  have 
been  seen,  with  his  head  adorned  with  a  feather  from  the 
wing  of  the  archangel  Michael.  In  another  was  shown  a 
a  fragment  of  Noah's  ark  ;  some  soot  from  the  furnace  of 
the  three  children  ;  a  piece  of  wood  from  the  crib  of  the 


112  REVELATION. 

infant  Jesus.     Impunity  for  crime  was  even  purchased  by 
money. 

Tlie  houses  of  the  clergy  were  the  resorts  of  the  disso- 
lute, and  the  scene  of  numerous  excesses.  Some  imitated 
the  customs  of  the  East,  and  had  their  harems.  Priests 
frequented  taverns,  played  dice,  and  finished  their  orgies 
by  quarrels  and  blasphemy.  They  scaled  walls  in  the 
night,  committed  disturbances  and  disorders  of  all  kinds, 
and  broke  open  doors  and  locks. — (See  Hist,  of  the  Ref.  by 
Dr.  Merle  d'Aubigne,  vol.  i.,  pp.  45-54.)  Such  was  the 
noisome  and  grievous  sore  v/hich  fell  cfn  the  men  who  had 
the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  worshipped  his  image. 

3  And  the  second  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sea;  and  it  be- 
came as  the  blood  of  a  dead  jnan;  and  every  living  soul  died  in  the 

4  sea.    And  the  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  rivers  and 

5  fountains  of  waters :  and  they  became  blood.  And  I  heard  the 
angel  of  the  waters  say,  Thou  art  righteous,  O  Lord,  which  art,  and 

6  wast,  and  shalt  be,  because  thou  hast  judged  thus.  For  they  have 
shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them 

7  blood  to  drink ;  for  they  are  worthy.  And  I  heard  another  out  of 
the  altar  say,  Even  so,  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are 
thy  judgments. 

These  two  vials  may  be  placed  together,  because  there 
appears  to  be  a  close  connexion  between  them,  and  their 
effects  are  similar.  One  was  poured  out  upon  the  sea, 
and  it  became  blood  ;  the  other  upon  the  rivers  and  foun- 
tains of  waters,  and  they  became  blood. 

We  shall  derive  assistance  in  understanding  what  was 
here  predicted,  by  attending  to  the  meaning  of  what  John 
heard  the  angel  of  the  waters  say.  He  declared  the 
righteousness  of  God,  in  visiting  with  retributive  justice  the 
kingdom  of  the  beast,  and  those  who  had  received  his 
mark.  As  they  had  delighted  in  shedding  blood,  God  gave 
them  blood  to  drink.  The  persecutions  of  the  saints,  by 
Christian,  or  rather  papal  Rome,  have  far  exceeded,  both 


CHAPTER  XVI.  113 

in  degree  and  duration,  those  carried  on  by  the  pagan 
emperors  of  Rome.  Indeed,  it  has  been  estimated  that,  in 
the  persecutions  of  the  church  of  Rome,  more  than  ten 
times  the  number  of  Christians  perished  than  in  all  the  ten 
persecutions  of  the  Roman  emperors  put  together. 

Seas,  rivers,  and  fountains  turned  into  blood,  are  proper 
emblems  of  wide-spread  devastation  and  slaughter.  Here, 
then,  as  appears  very  evident  to  me,  are  foretold  the  bloody 
victories  of  Mohammed  and  his  successors.  Early  in  the 
seventh  century,  this  impostor  began  to  publish  that  he  was 
favored  with  revelations  from  God.  At  first  he  met  with 
but  little  success ;  but  he  gradually  acquired  such  ascen- 
dency among  the  Saracens,  that  they  adopted  his  religion, 
enlisted  under  his  banner,  and  he  led  them  forth  to  propa- 
gate his  religion  with  the  sword.  Many  nations,  where 
once  the  light  of  Christianity  shone,  but  among  whom  the 
doctrines  of  Christianity  had  become  greatly  corrupted, 
were  subdued.  They  desolated  and  oppressed  the  Greek 
and  Latin  churches  ;  they  repeatedly  besieged  Constanti- 
nople, and  even  plundered  Rome.  Incredible  as  it  may 
seem,  yet,  in  the  short  space  of  little  more  than  eighty 
years,  the  disciples  of  Mohammed  had  subdued  Palestine, 
Syria,  almost  all  Asia  Minor,  Portugal,  Spain,  India, 
Egypt,  Numidia,  all  Barbary,  even  to  the  river  Niger. 
Nor  did  ihey  stop  here  till  they  had  added  a  great  part  of 
Italy,  as  far  as  to  the  gates  of  Rome,  and  even  the  islands 
of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Such  was  the  bloody  scourge 
which  God  raised  up  against  an  apostate  church.  The 
Saracens  even  advanced  into  France,  designing  the  con- 
quest of  Europe,  and  the  extermination  of  Christianity. 
Much  blood  was  shed,  but  it  was  not  for  the  extermination 
of  Christianity  that  this  scourge  was  raised  up  ;  but  for  the 
chastisement  of  those  who  had  shed  the  blood  of  the 
saints. 

10* 


114  REVELATION, 

In  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century,  the  Ottoman 
power  arose ;  and  it  is  from  this  point  we  may  date  the 
third  vial.  They  were  converted  to  the  Mohammedan 
faith  ;  but,  at  a  subsequent  period,  turned  their  arms  against 
the  Saracens,  conquered  them,  and  subjugated  such  parts 
of  Asia  and  Africa  as  had  submitted  to  the  Mohammedan 
faith.  Under  the  third  sovereign  of  this  new  dynasty,  the 
plan  was  conceived,  a  second  time,  of  blotting  from  exist- 
ence the  religion  which  professed  to  be  derived  from  the 
Gospel.  Thus  did  God  continue  to  scourge  the  beast,  and 
visit  those  who  bore  his  mark  with  retributive  justice. 
But  Christianity  was  not  to  be  exterminated.  The  Otto- 
mans were  put  in  check  by  Tamerlane,  who  also  professed 
the  Mohammedan  faith,  and  who,  in  his  turn,  for  a  season, 
held  the  retributive  sword  against  a  corrupt  priesthood  and 
apostate  church.  He  employed  the  most  inhuman  severity 
against  the  Roman  Catholics,  of  whom  many  suffered 
death,  by  his  orders,  in  the  most  barbarous  manner. 

But  it  was  in  the  Crusades,  those  romantic  expeditions, 
set  on  foot  by  popes,  and  potentates  who  acknowledged 
their  supremacy — avowedly  for  the  purpose  of  rescuing 
the  holy  sepulchre  from  the  infidels,  as  the  Mohammedans 
were  called — that  the  greatest  effusion  of  blood  was  caused. 
It  was  near  the  close  of  the  eleventh  century  when  Peter, 
the  hermit,  first  preached  the  crusades.  He  painted  the 
sufferings  and  insults  of  the  pilgrims  from  the  Turks,  who 
had  possession  of  Jerusalem.  Persons  of  all  ranks  fiew 
to  arms.  A  spirit  of  enthusiasm  soon  pervaded  all  Europe ; 
and,  for  about  two  centuries,  these  quixotic  but  sanguinary 
expeditions  disturbed  Europe.  The  loss  of  human  life  was 
immense.  It  is  computed  that  two  millions  of  Europeans 
were  buried  in  the  East.  Thus  did  the  sea,  the  rivers, 
and  fountains  of  waters  become  blood. 

"  Thou  art  righteous,  O  Lord,  because  thou  hast  judged 


CHAPTER  XVI.  115 

thus ;  for  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  prophets, 
and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink,  for  they  are 
worthy." 

8  And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun ;    and  power 

9  was  given  unto  him  to  scorch  men  with  fire.  And  men  were  scorched 
with  great  heat,  and  blasphemed  the  name  of  God,  which  hath  power 
over  these  plagues:  and  they  repented  not  to  give  him  glory. 

This  vial  may  be  referred  to  the  long  and  bloody  wars 
in  Italy,  France,  Germany,  and  Spain,  occasioned  by  a 
schism  in  the  papacy,  from  A.D.  1378  to  A.D.  1530,  there 
being  three  popes  in  three  lines  of  succession  at  the  same 
time.  The  vial  is  said  to  be  poured  out  on  the  sun,  i.e. 
upon  the  popedom.  As  a  star  may  be  interpreted  to  repre- 
sent a  prince  or  ruler,  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  so  the  sun 
may  represent  a  dynasty  or  form  of  government,  civil  or 
ecclesiastical.  Under  the  sixth  seal,  it  was  interpreted  to 
mean  the  Jewish  nation  ;  and,  under  the  fourth  trumpet, 
the  commonwealth  or  republic  of  ancient  Rome ;  here  it 
means  the  spiritual  dynasty  of  papal  Rome.  That  this 
interpretation  is  the  true  one,  receives  support  from  the 
remarkable  historical  fact,  that,  during  the  continuance  of 
this  schism  in  the  papacy,  the  seasons  were  hot  and  burn- 
ing, so  much  so,  that  the  fruits  of  the  earth  were  destroyed, 
and  pestilential  disorders  occasioned.  A  pestilence,  called 
the  sweating  sickness,  began  in  England  in  1517,  and  again 
in  1529,  and  extended  into  other  countries,  particularly 
Germany.  Yet  the  inhabitants  repented  not  to  give  God 
glory  ;  for,  subsequent  to  this,  the  most  violent  persecu- 
tions were  carried  on  against  the  Bohemians,  the  Lollards, 
the  Huguenots,  and  all  who  favored  the  Reformation. 

10  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast ; 
and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness ;  and  they  gnawed  their  tongues 

11  for  pain.  And  blasphemed  the  God  of  heaven,  because  of  their  pains 
and  their  sores,  and  repented  not  of  their  deeds. 


116  REVELATION. 

This  vial  obviously  refers  to  the  Reformation.  It  was 
poured  out  on  the  seat  of  the  beast ;  that  is,  it  was  aimed 
at  the  supremacy  of  the  pope,  the  grand  usurpation,  on 
which  had  Deen  engrafted,  from  time  to  time,  the  other  cor- 
ruptions of  the  church.  Wickliffe  and  Huss  prepared  the 
way  for  such  men  as  Luther,  Zuingle,  and  Calvin.  On 
all  sides,  as  the  time  for  the  pouring  out  of  this  vial  drew 
near,  "  from  above,  and  from  beneath,"  to  use  the  very 
language  of  Merle  d'Aubigne,  "was  heard  a  low  murmur, 
the  forerunner  of  tlie  thunderbolt  that  was  about  to  fall. 
Providence,  in  its  slow  course,  had  prepared  all  things  ; 
and  even  the  passions,  which  God  condemns,  were  to  be 
turned,  by  His  power,  to  the  fulfilment  of  His  purposes." 
The  bolt  fell,  and  the  kingdom  of  the  beast  was  full  of 
darkness;  and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain.  This 
refers  to  the  effect  produced  on  the  pope,  the  bishops,  and 
priesthood — the  malice  and  rage  it  excited  within  them, 
when  those  lion-hearted  men,  the  reformers,  stood  up  for 
the  long-hidden  truth,  casting  the  fear  of  dungeons  and 
gibbets  to  the  winds.  Amazement  seized  the  minds  of 
men  who  had  long  bowed  in  slavish  fear  to  the  supremacy 
of  the  pope.  "  In  the  space  of  a  fortnight, "  after  Luther 
had  nailed  to  the  church  door  in  Wittemberg  the  ninety- 
five  propositions  against  the  church  of  Rome,  says  the  same 
admired  historian,  "  they  had  spread  through  Germany ; 
within  a  month,  they  had  run  through  all  Christendom. 
They  shook  the  very  foundations  of  proud  Rome ;  threat- 
ened with  instant  ruin  the  walls,  gates,  and  pillars  of  the 
papacy ;  stunned  and  terrified  its  champions,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  awakened  from  the  slumber  of  error  many 
thousands  of  men."  As  soon  as  the  pope  and  his  clergy 
had,  in  some  measure,  recovered  from  the  first  shock,  they 
began  to  gnash  with  their  teeth  upon  the  bold,  but  mendi- 
cant monk.     And  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  by 


CHAPTER  XVI.  117 

reason  of  the  powerful,  searching,  and  condemning  truths 
which  he  still  fearlessly  published  to  the  world.  But  they 
"repented  not  of  their  deeds;"  for  all  the  essential  errors 
of  papacy  remain  to  this  day — the  celibacy  of  the  clergy, 
auricular  confession,  worship  of  saints  and  relics,  purga- 
tory, the  mass,  transubstantiation,  and  the  supremacy  and 
infallibility  of  the  pope. 

An  intelligent  friend  to  whom  the  author,  several  years 
ago,  submitted  his  views  of  this,  as  well  as  of  other  parts 
of  the  Apocalypse,  suggested  whether  the  Reformation,  so 
great  a  blessing  to  the  world,  could  possibly  be  meant  in 
the  fifth  vial,  inasmuch  as  the  vials  are  said  to  hold  the 
seven  last  plagues,  and  to  be  filled  with  the  wrath  of  God. 
That  the  vials  are  symbolical  of  judgments,  is  perfectly 
obvious.  But  the  difficulty  of  regarding  the  Reformation 
as  symbolized  by  one  of  them  is  only  apparent.  It  will  be 
removed  by  considering  that  whilst  it  was  one  of  the  great- 
est blessings  to  the  world,  it  was  a  disaster  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  church — a  disaster  more  serious  than  all  the  san- 
guinary wars  waged  against  it  by  the  Saracens  and  Turks. 
The  power  and  authority  which  it  lost  then  it  has  never 
been  able  to  I'egain. 

President  Edwards,  in  his  History  of  Redemption,  ex- 
presses the  opinion  that  the  fifth  vial  was  poured  out  at  the 
Reformation.  And  Dr.  Dwight,  as  the  present  writer  was 
peculiarly  gratified  in  recently  learning,  advocates  the 
same  opinion.  "  That  the  Reformation  was  an  event,"  is 
the  language  of  Dr.  D.,  "  perfectly  answering  to  this  pro- 
phecy, will,  I  suppose,  not  be  questioned  ;  as  without  vio- 
lence it  plainly  cannot.  The  seat  of  the  beast  is  literally 
his  throne,  and  symbolically  his  power.  Every  one  knows 
that  this  great  providential  dispensation  was  directed  im- 
mediately against  the  power  of  the  Romish  hierarchy.  The 
pontiff,  his  court,  his  ordinary  and  extraordinary  agents, 


118  REVELATION. 

his  clergy  universally,  the  secular  princes,  and  the  im- 
mense body  of  people  under  his  control,  were  all  agitated 
by  a  general  convulsion.  A  large  part  of  the  dominions 
over  which  he  held  a  spiritual  sceptre  revolted ;  and,  not- 
vvithstanding  the  immense  efforts  made  by  the  emaperor  of 
Germany  and  his  coadjutors,  for  the  destruction  of  the 
Protestant  cause,  were  finally  rescued  from  their  thraldom, 
and  established  in  the  full  possession  of  religious  liberty." 
(Discourse,  delivered  July  23,  1812,  on  the  Public  Fast, 
in  the  chapel  of  Yale  College,  p.  9.) 

12  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  great  river  Euphra- 
tes ;    and  the  water  thereof  was  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the  kings 

13  of  the  east  might  be  prepared.  And  I  saw  three  unclean  spirits  like 
frogs  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of 

14  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet.  For  they  are 
the  spirits  of  devils,  w^orking  miracles,  which  go  forth  unto  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  and  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of 

15  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty.  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief  Blessed 
is  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked, 

16  and  they  see  his  shame.  And  he  gathereth  them  together  in  a  place 
called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  Armageddon. 

It  appears  evident  to  me  that  we  are  now  approaching 
the  point  which  separates  between  the  fulfilled  and  the  un-. 
fulfilled  portions  of  this  book.  From  the  very  nature  of 
the  subject,  it  is  quite  impossible  to  point  out  where  this 
line  certainly  falls.  In  respect  to  prophecy  generally,  it 
appears  to  be  necessary  that  some  considerable  time  should 
elapse  after  the  accomplishment  of  a  prediction,  before  we 
can  be  qualified  to  decide  in  respect  to  it.  As  to  the  com- 
parative importance  of  passing  events,  it  is  obvious  that 
we,  the  observers  or  the  actors,  cannot  be  dispassionate 
judges;  we  are  not  able  to  assign  them  their  true  position 
in  the  great  current  of  human  history.  Past  periods,  which 
were  full  of  interest  to  the  then  actors  on  the  stage,  and 
even  seemed  to  them  to  cast  all  former  periods  into  the 


CHAPTER  XVI.  119 

shade,  are  now  almost  forgotten,  or  are  perhaps  summed 
up  in  a  sentence  or  two  of  the  philosophical  historian,  who 
sees  in  them  a  single  link,  or  part  of  a  link,  in  that  great 
chain  of  providential  events  which  runs  through  the  an- 
/lals  of  the  world.  If  I  were  to  venture  to  indicate  where, 
m  my  own  judgment,  what  refers  to  the  past,  in  this  book, 
ceases,  or  where  to  write  the  word  future,  as  indicating 
that  all  that  follows  it  remains  to  be  fulfilled,  it  would  be 
either  between  the  fifth  and  the  sixth,  or  the  sixth  and  the 
seventh  vials.  As  I  incline  to,  the  opinion  that  this  word 
might  be  more  properly  placed  between  the  sixth  and 
seventh  vials,  I  shall  proceed  to  give  the  reasons  which  go 
far  to  satisfy  me  that  the  sixth  vial  has  been  already  poured 
out.  They  are  substantially  those  which  may  be  found 
in  a  discourse  by  Dr.  Dwight,  quoted  on  a  preceding  page. 
Dr.  D.  regards  "the  period  in  which  we  live,"  as  in- 
cluded within  the  effusion  of  the  seven  vials.  The  Jifth, 
as  shown  before,  he  considers  as  unquestionably  poured 
out  at  the  Reformation.  Babylon  being  a  symbol  of  the 
Romish  spiritual  empire,  the  great  river  Euphrates  must 
be  understood  as  symbolical  of  the  wealth,  strength,  and 
safety  of  that  empire.  The  kings  of  the  East  mean  the 
destroyers  of  the  spiritual  Babylon.  The  unclean  spirits 
are  symbolical  of  bitter  and  violent  enemies  to  Christianity. 
They  were  like  frogs — that  is,  grovelling,  clamorous,  in- 
trusive, pertinacious  in  their  modes  of  acting.  They  came 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon  ;  that  is,  the  secular  perse- 
cuting power  of  this  spiritual  empire  ;  and  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  beast,  or  ecclesiastical  persecuting  power  of  the 
same  empire  ;  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet, 
primary  agents  of  a  corrupt  priesthood,  the  clergy  of  the 
Romish  church.  They  were  the  spirits  of  demons — malig- 
nant, hostile  to  human  happiness  and  virtue,  and  enemies 
to  God.     Working  miracles  ;  they  did  things  wonderful 


120  REVELATION. 

and  astonishing,  the  object  of  which  was  that  tlrey  might 
assemble  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  the  battle  of  the  great 
day  of  God  Almighty. 

There  is  strong  ground  for  the  opinion  that  these  prophe- 
cies were  fulfilled  at  the  time  of  the  French  Revolution. 
From  the  commencement  of  this  revolution,  the  miseries 
which  spread  through  the  French  kingdom,  during  '•'  the 
reign  of  terror,"  or  the  domination  of  the  infidels,  extended 
also  over  surrounding  countries.  The  great  river  Eu- 
phrates, or  the  sources  of  wealth  and  strength  of  papal 
Rome,  were  dried  up.  The  revolutionary  leaders  seized 
on  the  property  of  princes,  nobles,  and  the  clergy,  as  their 
lawful  prey.  More  than  £200,000,000  are  supposed  to 
have  fallen  into  their  hands  by  one  vast  act  of  confiscation. 
The  Jife,  liberty,  and  property  of  every  bordering  nation 
were  consumed.  Italy,  Sardinia,  Switzerland,  Belgium, 
Batavia,  Germany,  Prussia,  Austria,  bowed  successively 
to  the  French  arms.  The  world  stood  in  amazement  at  the 
scene.  Paris  was  a  pandemonium,  where  every  species 
of  vice,  crime,  and  impiety  was  perpetrated,  not  only  with 
impunity,  but  with  the  applause  of  its  desperate  populace. 
For  three  days  it  was  searched  before  a  copy  of  the  sacred 
Scriptures  could  be  found. 

The  unclean  spirits,  like  frogs,  are  represented  as  coming 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon.  They  are  symbolical  of 
-those  bitter  enemies  of  Christianity,  the  French  infidels. 
To  a  great  extent,  this  class  was  composed  of  the  nobles, 
the  gentry,  and  the  literati  of  Roman  Catholic  countries — 
particularly  the  two  principal  ones,  France  and  Germany. 
They  came  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  false  prophet.  Many  of  the  clergy,  and 
some  of  the  higher  orders,  embarked  in  the  design  of  the 
infidels.  Few  persons,  it  is  said,  rendered  their  system 
such  important  service  as  Briennes,  archbishop  of  Toulouse. 


CHAPTER  XVI.  121 

The  Jesuits,  too,  were  early  infidels,  in  great  numbers. 
But  it  would  be  sufficient  to  show  that  these  unclean  spirits 
sprung  out  of  those  countries  whose  inhabitants  were  the 
vassals  of  the  R.oman  pontiff. 

They  were  the  spirits  of  devils,  working  miracles. 
Their  design  was  diabolical,  which  was  no  less  than  the 
destruction  of  the  Christian  religion.  And  not  less  so  were 
the  means  they  employed  to  bring  it  about.  These  were 
an  endless  number  of  falsehoods,  perjury,  treachery, 
treason,  murder,  robbery,  oppression.  They  were  atheis- 
tical, and  more  furiously  hostile  to  God  than  any  other  men 
since  the  deluge.  They  thrust  themselves  into  every  office 
and  situation  in  which  mischief  could  be  done  by  them. 
"  The  press  groaned  with  their  labors  on  all  subjects, 
handled  in  all  forms,  which  promised  to  be  injurious  to 
Christianity.  From  the  magnificent  encyclopedia,  down 
to  the  farthing  pamphlet,  the  hand-bill  and  the  song,  infi- 
delity descended  in  a  regular  progress,  satisfied  if  she  could 
only  oppose  God,  and  destroy  mankind."  The  world 
stood  astonished  at  their  designs  and  their  efforts. 

They  went  forth  to  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  whole 
world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God 
Almighty.  These  men  intruded  themselves  into  the  courts 
and  cabinets  of  princes,  and  spared  no  pains  to  excite  them 
to  hostilities.  The  emperors  of  Austria,  France,  and 
Russia  ;  the  princes  of  the  house  of  Bourbon  ;  the  king 
of  Prussia  ;  several  of  the  British  princes ;  two  kings  of 
Sweden ;  the  various  reigning  princes  of  Germany  and 
Italy,  were  all  enlisted  by  these  abandoned  men.  More- 
over, the  emperor  of  Persia  was  engaged  by  a  part  of  the 
same  men,  to  embark  in  their  great  design.  They 
seduced  Tippoo  Saib  to  his  ruin,  and  embroiled  the 
Mahrattas  and  Seiks,  and  the  Spanish  provinces  on  this 
continent,  in  the  same  contest.  Thus  were  the  kings  and 
11 


122  REVELATION. 

kingdoms  of  the  whole  world  gathered  together  to  the  great 
battle. 

This  battle  denotes  a  war  in  which  the  vengeance  of 
Jehovah  would  be  signally  maiiifest.  It  is,  therefore, 
styled  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty.  The 
name,  Armageddon,  is  a  symbolical  expression,  which 
denotes  the  mountain  of  mourning,  in  reference  to  the 
destructive  events  which  were  to  take  place.  The  Euro- 
pean war,  which  began  in  1792,  is  without  a  parallel  in 
the  history  of  man — whether  we  regard  the  number  of 
nations  engaged  in  it,  the  number  of  armies  in  the  field, 
the  number  of  battles,  the  multitude  of  the  slain,  the  de- 
struction of  cities,  the  depopulation  of  countries,  or  the 
immense  ruin  and  devastation  brought  on  the  world.  On 
the  testimony  of  a  French  officer,  three  millions  of  French- 
men perished  within  the  first  four  or  five  years  of  the 
Revolution.  Such  was  the  waste  of  human  life,  that  the 
fields  and  vineyards  of  France  were  cultivated  by  women 
and  old  men.  In  a  single  province  of  France,  La  Vendee, 
700,000  fell  by  the  hand  of  violence.  To  this  destruction 
there  must  have  been  a  melancholy  proportion  in  many 
other  Roman  Catholic  countries.  It  will  be  no  excessive 
estimate  if  we  suppose  10,000,000  to  have  perished  in  the 
wars  occasioned  by  the  French  Revolution,  belonging  prin- 
cipally to  the  Romish  and  Greek  churches. 

The  water  of  the  great  river  Euphrates  was  in  a  great 
measure  dried  up  ;  that  is,  the  sources  from  which  the 
papal  empire  derived  its  wealth,  strength,  and  safety,  were 
cut  off,  or  diverted  into  other  channels.  The  property  of 
princes,  powerful  nobles,  and  rich  citizens,  was  confisca- 
ted, and  untold  millions  were  consumed  in  the  support  of 
armies.  The  sovereign  pontiff  himself  was  compelled  to 
flee  for  his  life,  was  taken,  insulted,  stripped  of  his  wealth, 
deprived  of  his  civil  power,  confined  in  prison,  and  trans- 


CHAPTER  XVI.  123 

formed  from  the  mighty  ruler  of  Christendom  into  a  depen- 
dent, beggared  old  man.  In  1798,  Napoleon  Bonaparte 
deprived  the  Pope  of  his  power  to  reign  over  the  kings  of 
the  earth.  The  ecclesiastics  in  Spain,  Portugal,  Italy, 
France,  and  Germany,  were  deprived  of  their  rich  reve- 
nues. The  papacy  is  by  no  means  destroyed — the  last 
vial  has  not  yet  been  poured  out — but  it  has  received  a 
blow,  from  that  army  which  God  gathered  together  in  a 
place  called  Armageddon,  from  which  it  can  never  recover  ; 
a  blow  by  which,  if  it  is  not  already  done,  the  way  of  the 
kings  of  the  East  will  be  fully  prepared.  To  this  work 
of  judgment  the  Saviour  came  "  as  a  thief,"  in  a  manner 
as  unexpected  and  sudden  as  it  was  astonishing  and  terrible. 

17  And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air ;  and  there 
came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  terople  of  heaven,  from  the  throne, 

18  saying.  It  is  done.  And  there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  light- 
nings ;  and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  such  as  was  not  since 
men  were  upon  the  earth,  so  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  so  great. 

19  And  the  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the 
nations  fell :  and  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  before  God, 
to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath. 

20  And  every  island  fled  away,  and  the  mountains  were  not  found. 

21  And  there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven,  every  stone 
about  the  weight  of  a  talent :  and  men  blasphemed  God  because  of 
the  plague  of  the  hail ;  for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great. 

This  belongs  to  the  Future.  It  predicts  the  complete 
overthrow  of  the  spiritual  Babylon ;  i.  e.,  the  apostate 
church  of  Rome.  The  vial  will  be  poured  out  into  the  air, 
and  a  great  voice  will  be  heard  from  the  throne  of  God — It 
IS  DONE.  The  precise  nature  of  the  judgment  or  disaster 
by  which  this  overthrow  is  to  be  accomplished,  the  event 
alone  can  show.  Putting  conjecture  entirely  aside  as  to 
the  import  of  the  symbols  here  employed,  viz.,  the  great 
earthquake,  the  dividing  of  the  city  into  three  parts,  the 
flight  of  islands  and  mountains,  and  the  great  hail,  we 


124  REVELATION. 

leave  them  to  be  made  plain  by  coming  events.  We  feel 
assured  that  some  future  interpreter  will  be  able  to  supply 
all  that  is  necessary  to  illustrate  that  which  they  portend. 
The  admonition  to  be  watchful,  given  under  the  preced- 
ing vial,  is  no  doubt  equally  appropriate  here :  Behold,  I 
came  as  a  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth 
Ins  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked  and  they  see  his  shame. 
The  high  value  of  the  Apocalypse  as  a  practical  book, 
which  was  particularly  noticed  in  the  Introduction,  is  here 
brought  conspicuously  to  view.  While  Christ  is  coming 
in  judgment  on  his  foes,  let  Christians  watch,  and  keep 
themselves  pure.  Let  them  be  prepared  for  His  coming. 
The  great  moral  of  this  book  to  one  class  of  men  is.  Re- 
pent, and  come  to  the  water  »f  life  ;  and  to  another  class, 
Watch  and  pray,  for  ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord 
doth  come. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

1  And  there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels  which  had  the  seven  vials, 
and  talked  w^ith  me,  saying  unto  me,  Come  hither ;  I  will  show  unto 
thee  the  judgment  of  the  great  whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters; 

2  With  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  fornication,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  have  been  made  drunk  with  the  wine  of 

3  her  fornication.  So  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit  into  the  wilder- 
ness: and  I  saw  a  woman  sit  upon  a  scarlet-colored  beast,  full  of 

4  names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  And  the 
woman  was  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet-color,  and  decked  with 
gold   and  precious  stones  and  pearls,  having  a  golden  cup  in  her 

5  hand  full  of  abominations  and  filthiness  of  her  fornication:  And 
upon  her  forehead  uas  a  name  written,  MYSTERY,  BABYLON 
THE  GREAT,  THE  MOTHER  OF  HARLOTS  AND  ABOMI- 

6  NATIONS  OF  THE  EARTH.  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunken 
with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of 
Jesus :  and  when  I  saw  her,  I  wondered  with  great  admiration. 

In  this  chapter,  together  with  the  xviii.  and  xix.,  we 
have  a  more  minute  account  of  the  abominations  and  im- 
postures of  papal  Rome,  and  of  the  final  overthrow  of  that 
anti-Christian  power.  Having  had  the  denouement  given, 
in  connexion  with  the  act  of  pouring  out  the  last  vial,  to 
make  the  action  of  the  piece  correspond  with  the  preceding 
vials,  we  may  regard  what  is  contained  in  these  three 
chapters  as  included  under  the  seventh  vial.  This  view  is 
confirmed  by  the  supposition  of  Bishop  Newton,  that  the 
angel  who  came  and  talked  with  John  was  the  seventh 
angel  ;  and  that  as  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance 
before  God,  under  the  seventh  vial,  the  task  of  explaining 
to  John  "  the  judgment  of  the  great  whore  (spiritual 
Babylon)  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters,"  with  peculiar 
propriety  devolved  on  this  angel.  So  that  if  we  regard  the 
contents  of  these  three  chapters  simply  as  such  an  expla- 
in 


136  REVELATION. 

nation,  it  will  be  proper,  as  is  done  in  the  analysis  of  this 
book,  to  consider  the  seventh  vial  as  extending  to  the  end 
of  ch.  xix. 

Fornication,  in  the  figurative  sense  of  Scripture,  means 
idolatry.  The  chosen  emblem  is  Babylon,  because  that 
city  had  been  the  most  renowned  among  ancient  idolatrous 
cities.  Nearly  all  commentators,  Romish  as  well  as 
Protestant,  agree  that  Rome  is  meant ;  but  that  papal  and 
not  pagan  Rome  is  meant,  appears  from  considerations, 
which  will  be  suggested  at  almost  every  step  as  we  ad- 
vance. Bossuet,  in  his  commentary,  and  other  Romanists, 
apply  all  this  part  of  the  Apocalypse  to  heathen  Rome. 
Some  of  the  German  critics  do  the  same.  Professor  Lee, 
of  Oxford,  and  Professor  Stuart  of  Andover,  among  Eng- 
lish interpreters,  consider  Babylon  as  designating  pagan 
Rome,  both  in  its  political  and  religious  character.  The 
leading  reason  assigned  in  support  of  this  opinion  appears 
to  be  this,  that  as  it  was  the  great  object  of  this  book  to 
impart  consolation  to  Christians  suffering  persecution,  at 
the  time  it  was  written,  it  would  have  been  foreign  to  this 
design  to  have  predicted  distant  times,  and  the  overthrow 
of  future  persecutors. 

That  it  was  the  primary  design  of  the  Apocalypse  to 
comfort  the  persecuted,  is  an  idea  which  we  would  main- 
tain, and  have  endeavored  not  to  lose  sight  of  in  the  pre- 
ceding pages.  It  has  been  shown  that  the  destruction  of 
the  Jewish  and  pagan  persecuting  powers  is  most  explicit- 
ly foretold  by  John,  for  the  consolation  of  his  companions 
in  tribulation.  How,  we  ask,  does  it  militate  with  the 
same  design,  that  he  should  then  proceed  to  foretell  that  a 
similar  destruction  would  befall  every  other  persecuting 
power  that  might  arise  against  the  church  ?  Would  it  not 
prove  how  dear  that  church  is  to  the  Lord  ?  Besides,  is 
there  no  consolation  to  be  derived  from  predictions  which 


CHAPTER  XVII.  127 

clearly  relate  to  the  most  distant  future  ?  The  resurrec- 
tion of  the  saints  at  the  last  day  has  always  been,  and  will 
continue  to  be,  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  consolation 
to  the  afflicted.  Who  ever  imagined,  that  because  the 
prophecy  which  assures  us  of  it,  has  respect  to  the  most 
distant  future,  it  is  therefore  not  adapted  to  solace  the 
minds  of  the  afflicted  ?  At  least  one  half  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse is  devoted  to  predicting  the  overthrow  of  the  enemies 
of  the  Christian  religion,  who  were  active  at  the  time  it 
was  written  ;  how,  therefore,  it  can  be  pronounced  incon- 
gruous or  inapposite  to  regard  the  residue  of  the  book  as 
relating  to  the  destruction  of  similar  enemies,  whom  the 
God  of  prophecy  must  have  foreseen  would  arise  in  future 
times,  it  is  very  hard  to  understand.  And  it  is  equally 
hard  to  understand  why  the  whole  of  an  inspired  book  of 
scripture  should  be  given  for  the  consolation  of  believers 
in  a  single  generation  and  age,  and  no  specific  prediction 
should  be  given,  for  the  same  endj  in  the  case  of  Christians 
who  were  to  suffer,  to  say  the  least,  from  persecutions 
equally  sanguinary.  To  make  the  consolation  of  Chris- 
tians, suffering  in  later  times,  depend  exclusively  upon  the 
analogy  of  God's  providence — in  other  words,  the  opinion 
that  all  we  can  know  respecting  the  destruction  of  perse- 
cutors who  might  arise  posterior  to  the  end  of  pagan  Rome, 
we  are  to  derive  from  the  inference  that  God  will  destroy 
later  enemies  in  like  manner  as  he  destroyed  those  more 
ancient — is  equivalent  to  taking  away  all  the  consolation 
which  prophecy  in  itself  is  adapted  to  impart.  For  it  is 
obvious,  that  if  the  destruction  of  the  Jewish  and  pagan 
persecuting  powers  had  not  been  foretold  to  the  Christians 
of  John's  generation,  the  history  of  these  events  would  have 
been  just  as  effectual  in  consoling  those  who  have  suffered 
under  persecuting  papal  Rome,  by  confirming  the  down- 
fall of  Romanism.     For  the  same  end,  that  John,  ''  to 


128  REVELATION. 

crown  all,  looks  through  the  vista  of  distant  ages,  and 
sees  that  the  setting  sun  of  the  church  militant  will  be 
glorious,"  viz.,  the  consolation  of  persecuted  Christians — in 
looking  through  that  vista,  he  lingers  to  depict  a  perse- 
cuting power,  that  met  his  prophetic  eye,  second  to  none 
in  shedding  the  blood  of  the  saints. 

Other  reasons  for  understanding  pagan  rather  than  papal 
Rome  as  predicted  in  this  portion  of  the  Apocalypse  under 
examination,  are  sufficiently  set  aside  by  the  exposition 
adopted  in  this  volume.  For  example,  the  idolatry  spoken 
of,  chap.  xiii.  1-10,  we  have  maintained  to  be  the  idolatry 
of  heathen  Rome,  and  the  beast  that  rose  up  from  the  sea 
to  be  a  symbol  of  the  imperial  magistracy  of  Rome.  By 
the  beast  from  the  land,  chap.  xiii.  11,  we  understand  papal 
Rome,  and  by  "  the  false  prophet,"'  the  priesthood  of  Rome, 
with  the  pope  at  their  head,  this  latter  beast  representing 
not  merely  the  ecclesiastical  but  the  civil  power,  which 
the  church  of  Rome  claimed,  and  at  length  came  to  possess. 
We  have  already  had  occasion  to  notice  Rev.  xvii.  7-12, 
and  in  the  sequel  it  will  come  into  view  again.  The  beast 
mentioned  in  this  passage  as  carrying  the  woman,  is  un- 
questionably  the  beast  from  the  sea,  which  has  been  ex- 
plained to  be  a  symbol  of  pagan  Rome  ;  and  the  meaning 
is,  that  papal  Rome  succeeded  to  the  authority  and  cruel 
despotism  of  pagan  Rome,  and  was  helped  into  the  posses- 
sion of  it  by  the  latter. 

The  reader  will  pardon  what  may  seem  to  be  a  digres- 
sion in  the  preceding  remarks.  We  now  return  to  the 
passage,  the  import  of  which  we  have  undertaken  to  show. 
Fornication,  it  was  mentioned,  is  figurative,  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  ancient  prophets,  of  idolatry.  This  was  the 
fornication  which  the  kings  of  the  earth  committed  with 
the  woman  on  a  scarlet-colored  beast.  Here,  therefore, 
we  are  presented  with  one  of  those  considerations  which 


CHAPTER  XVII.  129 

go  to  prove  that  the  apostate  church  of  Rome  is  meant  by 
this  woman.  Pagan  Rome,  it  is  well  known,  was  never 
at  any  pains  to  disseminate  her  false  system  of  religion. 
Her  great  ambition  was  military  conquest;  but  conquered 
nartions  she  permitted  to  retain  their  forms  of  religion,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  Jews.  Can  any  attempt,  on  the  part  of 
the  Roman  empire,  be  shown  to  overturn  the  religion  of 
the  Jews,  and  substitute  that  of  paganism  in  its  room  ?  It 
might,  on  the  contrary,  with  more  truth  be  said,  that  pagan 
Rome  imported  the  superstitions  and  idolatry  of  other  na- 
tions, as,  for  example  of  the  Greeks,  than  that  she  spread 
her  own  in  other  countries.  She  did  not  intoxicate  and 
delude,  by  acts  of  deception  and  lying  vanities,  the  other 
nations  of  the  earth  ;  slie  sent  her  victorious  legions  to  lay 
waste  and  destroy,  and  then  ruled  over  them  with  a  rod  of 
iron.  But  pajjcil  Rome  has  made  the  kings  and  inhabitants 
of  the  earth  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  fornication;  she 
has  deluded  them  with  her  splendid  and  fascinating  ritual, 
borrowed,  as  we  have  already  shown,  in  its  main  features, 
from  the  idolatry  of  ancient  Rome.  To  introduce  and  en- 
force this  ritual,  in  all  its  minute,  and  often  ridiculous  par- 
ticulars, the  fires  of  the  stake  have  been  kindled,  and  the 
sword  crimsoned  with  blood.  Kings  and  princes  have  been 
filled  with  a  strange  infatuation  by  partaking  of  the  abo- 
minations which  the  woman  mingles  in  her  "  golden  cup." 
They  have  consented  to  perform  the  most  slavish  and 
sycophantic  offices,  and  some  have  even  been  ambitious  of 
holding  the  stirrup  of  "  his  Holiness."  It  is  related  of 
Pepin,  king  of  France,  that  when  pope  Stephen  visited  his 
dominions,  he  went  out,  accompanied  by  the  queen,  his 
sons,  Q,nd  most  of  the  French  nobility,  to  meet  him.  As 
he  approached,  Pepin  dismounted  from  his  horse,  and  fell 
prostrate  on  the  ground  ;  and  not  suffering  the  Pope  to 
dismount,  he  attended  him  part  of  the  way  on   foot,  per- 


130  REVELATION. 

forming,  according  to  the  Romish  historian  Anastasius, 
"  the  office  of  his  groom  or  equerry."  Kings  have  led  their 
forces  to  the  field  in  defence  of  the  pope's  tyranny,  or  to 
enforce  his  usurpations  of  political  power  ;  and  sometimes 
they  have  been  compelled  to  appease  his  displeasure  by- 
submitting  to  the  most  degrading  acts  of  humiliation. 

The  vision  was  laid  in  the  wilderness  or  desert.  John 
"  saw  a  wom.an  sit  upon  a  scarlet-colored  beast."  In 
sculpture  and  painting,  cities  and  nations  are  often  rep- 
resented  by  the  figure  of  a  woman.  The  symbol  of 
our  own  republic  is  that  of  a  female  figure  ;  the  symbol 
of  ancient  Rome,  as  represented  on  her  coin,  was  a  woman 
seated  on  a  lion.  By  the  woman,  then,  v/e  understand  the 
church  of  Rome.  In  chap.  xii.  1,  under  the  figure  of  a 
woman  in  most  splendid  apparel,  we  have  a  representation 
of  the  true  church  of  Christ ;  there  seems  therefore  to  be 
a  peculiar  propriety  in  understanding,  by  a  female  arrayed 
in  the  meretricious  ornaments  of  a  courtesan,  a  fallen  or 
apostate  church,  whilst  there  is  nothing  in  such  a  figure 
specially  appropriate  to  a  civil  state,  like  that  of  ancient 
Rome.  By  the  scarlet-colored  beast,  we  understand  the 
empire  of  pagan  Rome.  The  robes  of  Roman  emperors 
and  magistrates  were  of  scarlet.  The  beast  was  full  of 
the  names  of  blasphemy.  The  applicability  of  this  de- 
scription to  heathen  Rome  has  been  shown  before,  from 
the  emperors  receiving  divine  titles;  it  may  be  added  that 
the  city  of  Rome  was  styled  "  the  Eternal  City,"  "  the 
Goddess  of  the  Earth,"  and  by  other  blasphemous  names. 
"  Having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,"  which  is  precisely 
the  description  of  pagan  Rome  in  the  thirteenth  chapter. 
The  woman  is  represented  as  seated  on  a  beast  which  sym- 
bolized the  empire  of  Rome,  or  its  supreme  magistracy, 
because  the  Roman  Catholic  church  succeeded  to  a  similar 


CHAPTER  XVII.  131 

wide-spread  dominion  in  the  church,  and  was  facilitated  ia 
its  usurpations  by  an  alliance  with  the  state. 

Tlie  woman  was  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  which, 
it  is  well  known,  has  been  the  color  of  the  pontifical  robes 
of  popes  and  cardinals.  "  Decked  with  gold  and  precious 
stones  and  pearls;"  in  the  splendor  and  magnificence  of 
her  vestments  and  ornaments  of  all  kinds,  papal  Rome  has 
far  excelled  pagan  Rome.  Like  a  fallen  woman  who 
prides  herself  upon  her  finery,  this  costly  and  gaudy  array 
was  formerly  the  boast  of  papists.  Bishop  Newton  refers 
to  a  Romish  author,  Alexander  Donatus,  and  the  same  is 
mentioned  by  Vitringa,  who  drew  a  comparison  between 
ancient  and  modern  Rome,  and  asserted  the  superiority  of 
his  own  church  in  the  pomp  and  splendor  of  religion. 
The  whole  of  Bishop  Newton's  dissertation  on  this  part  of 
the  Apocalypse  is  exceedingly  able  and  satisfactory  ;  and 
the  author  would  here  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  to 
this  writer  for  many  of  the  facts  introduced  to  illustrate 
the  striking  manner  in  which  the  church  of  Rome  answers 
to  the  description  which  is  here  given.  But  to  proceed : 
the  mitres  of  one  of  the  popes  (Paul  II.)  was  adorned 
"  with  diamonds,  sapphires,  emeralds,  chrysolites,  jaspers, 
and  all  manner  of  precious  stones."  Addison,  in  his  tra- 
vels, speaking  of  the  vast  expense  in  the  number,  rarity, 
and  richness  of  the  jewels  with  which  one  of  the  Romish 
images  was  honored,  says  that  the  sight  "  as  much  sur- 
passed his  expectation,  as  other  sights  have  generally  fall- 
en short  of  it.  Silver  can  scarce  find  an  admission,  and 
gold  itself  looks  but  poorly  amongst  such  an  incredible 
number  of  precious  stones." 

Upon  her  forehead  the  woman  had  her  name  written. 
This  name,  as  given  by  our  translators,  is.  Mystery, 
Babylon  the  Great,  the  mother  of  harlots  and 
ABOMINATIONS    OF   THE    EARTH.      Bloomfleld    thinks   that 


133  REVELATION. 

mystery  is  not  a  part  of  the  inscription,  but  should  be  con- 
strued in  an  adjective  sense,  with  name,  as  if  it  were  myste- 
rious name.  It  is  worthy  of  mention  here,  however,  that 
it  has  been  asserted  by  some  respectable  writers,  that, 
prior  to  the  Reformation,  the  word  mystery  was  inscribed 
in  golden  letters  on  the  front  of  the  pope's  mitre.  But,  as 
it  has  been  controverted  by  writers  on  the  other  side,  be 
this  as  it  may,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  ancient  mitres 
had  on  them  emblematic  inscriptions.  Mystery  was  the 
title  under  which  Paul  foretold  the  Roman  apostacy  in  his 
second  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  chap.  ii.  7.  Papal 
Rome  might  be  called  "  Mystery,''  because  she  was  the 
"mystery  of  iniquity,"  and  was  the  mystical  Babylon. 
She  styles  herself  "  holy  mother,"  and  affects  the  title  "  the 
catholic  church,"  and  other  vaunting,  high-sounding  names, 
designed  to  secure  a  superstitious  reverence ;  and  there- 
fore may  she  be  styled  Babylon  the  Great.  The  mass, 
purgatory,  indulgences,  penances,  which  she  has  invented, 
sitting  in  the  temple  of  God,  and  affecting  divine  titles, 
makes  her  "  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of  the 
earth." 

But  understanding  mystery  as  having  an  adjective  sense, 
referring  to  name,  the  inquiry  naturally  arises,  in  what 
way  "  Babylon  the  Great,"  applied  to  ancient  heathen 
Rome,  could  have  been  a  mysterious  appellation.  There 
is  no  mystery  in  the  application  of  the  name  of  one  cele- 
brated pagan  city  to  another  ;  "  but  it  is  indeed  a  mystery, 
that  a  Christian  city,  professing  and  boasting  herself  to  be 
the  city  of  God,  should  prove  another  Babylon  in  idolatry, 
and  in  cruelty  to  the  people  of  God." 

The  woman  is  moreover  described  as  "  drunken  with 
the  blood  of  the  saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
of  Jesus."  In  the  war  which  papal  Rome  carried  on 
against  the  Albigenses  and  Waldenses,  there  perished  of 


CHAPTER  XVII,  133 

these  pious  Christians  one  million  in  France  alone.  In  lit- 
tle more  than  thirty  years  after  the  institution  of  the  order 
of  the  Jesuits,  there  were  slain  nine  hundred  thousand 
Christians.  In  the  Netherlands,  during  a  few  years,  thirty- 
six  thousand  persons  perished  by  the  hands  of  the  execu- 
tioner. It  has  been  estimated  that  in  the  persecutions  car- 
ried on  by  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  more  than  ten 
times  the  number  of  Christians  were  massacred  than  were 
slain  in  the  whole  ten  persecutions  of  the  Roman  empire. 
Can  it  then  be  supposed,  that  Avhilst  the  latter,  or  the  first 
merely,  of  these  ten  persecutions,  that  under  Nero,  is  so 
fully  predicted,  there  is  no  definite  or  distinct  prediction 
of  persecutions  that  were  to  be  more  sanguinary,  and  under 
which  the  people  of  God  would  equally  need  consolation  ? 
Moreover,  John  says,  when  he  saw  the  woman  drunk  with 
the  blood  of  the  saints,  he  wondered  with  great  admiration. 
If  he  had  supposed  that  heathen  Rome  was  meant  by  the 
woman,  how  could  what  he  saw  have  been  a  matter  of 
surprise  to  him  ?  Had  he  not  seen  with  his  own  eyes,  and 
himself  suffered  from,  the  fierce  persecutions  of  Nero  ? 
"  That  a  city,"  remarks  Bishop  Newton,  "  professedly 
Christian,  should  wanton  and  riot  in  the  blood  of  Chris- 
tians, might  well  be  a  subject  of  astonishment." 

7  And  the  angel  said  unto  me,  Wherefore  didst  thou  marvel '?  I  will 
tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast  that  carrieth 

8  her,  which  hath  the  seven  heads,  and  ten  horns.  The  beast  that 
thou  sawest,  was,  and  is  not;  and  shall  ascend  out  of  the  bottom- 
less pit,  and  go  into  perdition :  and  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth 
shall  wonder,  (whose  names  were  not  written  in  the  book  of  Ufe 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world,)  when  they  behold  the  beast  that 

9  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is.  And  here  is  the  mind  which  hath  wis- 
dom.    The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains,  on  which  the  woman 

10  sitteth.     And  there  are  seven  kings;    five  are  fallen,  and  one  is, 
and  the  other  is  not  yet  come ;  and  when  he  cometh,  he  must  con- 

1 1  tinue  a  short  space.  And  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  even  he  is 
13  the  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and  gocth  into  perdition.     And  the 

12 


134  REVELATION. 

ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten  kings,  which  have  received  no 
kingdom  as  yet;   but  receive  power  as  kings  one  hour  with  the 

13  beast.     These  have   one   mind,  and  shall   give   their   power   and 

14  strength  unto  the  beast.  These  shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb, 
and  the  Lamb  shall  overcome  them  :  for  he  is  Lord  of  lords,  and 
King  of  kings ;  and  they  that  are  with  him  are  called,  and  chosen, 

15  and  faithful.  And  he  saith  unto  me.  The  waters  which  thou  saw- 
est, where   the  whore  sitteth,  are  peoples,   and   multitudes,   and 

16  nations,  and  tongues.  And  the  ten  howis  which  thou  sawest  upon 
the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the  whore,  and  shall  make  her  desolate 

17  and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh  and  burn  her  with  fire.  For 
God  hath  put  in  their  hearts  to  fulfil  his  will,  and  to  agree,  and 
give  their  kingdom  unto  the  beast,  until  the  words  of  God  shall  be 

18  fulfilled.  And  the  woman  which  thou  sawest  is  that  great  city, 
which  reigneth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth. 

The  vvonder  of  the  apostle  amounted  to  perplexity. 
"  Wherefore  didst  thou  marvel  ?"  said  the  angel-mterpreter 
to  him.  He  then  proceeded  to  explain  "  the  mystery  of 
the  woman,  and  of  the  beast  that  carrieth  her."  (An  ex- 
position of  this  passage,  as  far  as  the  twelfth  verse,  was 
given  in  the  Introduction,  where  it  was  attempted  to  show 
that  the  Apocalypse  bears  internal  evidence  of  having 
been  written  during  the  reign  of  Nero,  or  before  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem.  This  of  course  will  render  un- 
necessary any  extended  account  of  its  meaning  here.)  In 
fulfillment  of  his  promise,  the  angel  first  proceeds  to  explain 
to  John  the  mystery  of  the  beast  that  carried  the  woman. 
He  clearly  identifies  it  with  the  beast  that  came  from  the 
sea,  which,  we  have  shown,  must  be  understood  as  a  sym- 
bol of  imperial  Rome.  It  was  this  beast  that  elevated  the 
woman  and  carried  her  into  power.  It  was  the  continu- 
ance and  support,  which  she  derived  from  imperial  Ronr^e, 
by  which  the  church  of  Rome  at  length  came  to  exercise 
a  similar,  or  rather  a  more  mighty  and  extended  power 
over  the  nations.  .And  here,  by  the  way,  another  signal 
proof  is  suggested,  that  there  is  nothing  incongruous  in 


CHAPTER  XVII.  135 

supposing  that  John,  after  completing  the  description  of 
pagan  persecutions,  should  proceed  to  predict  those  of 
papal  Rome.  If  there  be,  as  no  one  can  deny,  such  an 
intimate  connexion  between  pagan  and  papal  Rome,  if  the 
latter  derived  its  power — that  power  by  which  it  could  be- 
come a  persecuting  power — from  the  former,  instead  of  being 
inapposite,  would  it  not  be  most  natural  for  the  prophet  to 
proceed  to  depict  the  overthrow  of  this  new  form  or  devel- 
opment of  Roman  hostility  to  the  gospel  of  Christ  ?  Nay, 
would  not  his  work  have  been  fragmentary  and  incom- 
plete, if  he  had  not  done  it.  When  the  persecutions  of 
pagan  Rome  ceased,  the  old  root  did  not  die  ;  a  thrifty  shoot 
had  already  sprung  up,  which  grew  rapidly,  and  soon 
overtopped  the  old  decayed  trunk,  casting  even  a  wider 
and  more  fearful  shadow  over  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
Paul  declares,  2  Thess.  ii.  7,  that  the  mystery  of  iniquity 
had  begun  to  work  in  his  day.  The  second  beast,  or  the 
beast  that  came  up  from  the  land,  emblematical  of  papal 
Rome,  exercised  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast,  and  caused 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  to  worship  the  first  beast. 

In  the  eighth  verse  there  is  what  may  be  very  naturally 
explained,  as  an  allusion  to  the  popular  belief  in  regard  to 
Nero,  that  after  disappearing  for  a  time  he  would  come 
again,  as  if  he  had  risen  from  the  dead.  As  the  living 
representative  or  embodiment  of  the  magistracy  of  imperial 
Rome,  he  is  spoken  of  as  "  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not, 
and  yet  is."  It  is  only  the  instructed  mind  that  can  un- 
derstand what  is  meant  here.  John  must  not  write  what 
would  lay  him  open  to  the  charge  of  sedition,  but  he  might 
employ  expressions  which  the  mind,  possessed  of  wisdom 
or  penetration,  could  understand. 

"  The  seven  heads  (of  the  beast  that  rose  from  the  sea) 
are  seven  mountains  on  which  the  wom^  sitteth."  Rome 
was  built  on  seven  hills.    '•'  And  there  are  seven  kings ;  five 


136  REVELATION. 

are  fallen;"  Julius  Csesar,  Augustus,  Tiberius,  Caligula, 
and  Claudius.  "  One  is  ;"  Nero.  "  And  the  other  is  not 
yet  come ;  and  when  he  cometh,  he  must  continue  a 
short  space."  Galba,  who  reigned  but  seven  months, 
makes  the  seventh.  And  then  the  popular  belief  in  regard 
to  Nero  seems  to  be  again  brought  to  view ;  "  and  the 
beast  that  w^as,  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the  eighth,  and  is  of 
the  seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition."  Had  the  expecta- 
tion in  regard  to  Nero,  that,  after  disappearing  for  a  time, 
he  would  come  again,  been  fulfilled,  he  would  have  been 
the  eighth  ;  and  he  might  have  been  said  to  be  of  the  seven, 
in  allusion  to  the  short  reign  of  Galba,  who  is  generally 
reckoned  as  one  of  the  mock  emperors.  It  may  here 
be  remarked,  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  suppose  that 
John  entertained  the  popular  belief  in  regard  to  Nero's 
reappearance ;  but  he  took  advantage  of  it  in  describing 
the  reigning  emperor,  just  as  our  Saviour,  as  very  aptly 
observed  by  Professor  Stuart,  in  his  Hints  on  Interpreta- 
tion, took  advantage  of  a  popular  belief,  when  he  spoke  of 
unclean  spirits,  waJking  through  dry  'places,  seeking  rest 
and  finding  none,  without  expressmg  any  opinion  whether 
it  was  true  or  false.  It  answered  liis  purpose,  in  descri- 
bing the  reigning  emperor,  without  exposing  him  to  the 
charge  of  sedition  against  the  government. 

The  ten  horns  (verse  twelfth)  represent  the  divisions  or 
kingdoms  into  which  the  Roman  empire  was  divided  ;  they 
were  tributary  and  constituent  parts  of  that  empire.  The 
expression,  which  have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet,  shows 
that  these  divisions  had  not  been  formed  at  the  time  the 
Revelation  was  seen.  The  words  translated  "one  hour," 
might  have  been  rendered,  according  to  Vitringa,  "  at  one 
and  the  same  time,"  or,  for  the  same  length  of  time  ;  and 
then  the  meaning  would  be,  that  although  these  kingdoms, 
at  the  time  of  the  vision,  had  no  distinct  existence,  they 


CHAPTER  XVII.  137 

nevertheless  formed  constituent  parts  of  the  Roman  empire* 
All  the  provinces  of  the  empire  gave  their  power  to  the 
beast ;  i.  e.,  the  imperial  magistracy  of  Rome ;  especially 
there  was  but  one  mind  among  them  all  in  executing  the 
edicts  of  the  emperors,  in  the  persecutions  they  carried  on 
against  Christians.  The  same  was  true,  after  the  empire 
became  Christian,  and  the  supremacy  of  the  Pope  was 
established  ;  the  various  kingdoms  which  acknowledged 
his  supremacy,  however  much  they  might  have  differed  in 
other  respects,  yet  agreed  perfectly  in  contributing  of  their 
forces  and  riches  to  execute  the  decretals  of  the  Pope.  It 
is  predicted  that  they  should  make  war  with  the  Lamb  ; 
that  is,  they  would  persecute  the  church  of  Christ;  but 
"  the  Lamb  will  overcome  them,  for  He  is  Lord  of  lords, 
and  King  of  kings  ;  and  they  that  are  with  Him  are  called, 
and  chosen,  and  faithful."  The  angel  next  explains  '•  the 
waters,"  on  which  the  woman  was  sitting,  to  be  "  peoples, 
and  multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues."  This  denotes 
the  great  extent  and  numerical  strength  of  the  church  of 
Rome.  Previous  to  the  Moslem  conquests,  her  dominion 
was  spread  over  all  the  principal  nations  of  the  earth.  It 
was  not  limited  to  those  who  spoke  one  language,  but  in- 
cluded many  different  "  tongues."  It  is,  moreover,  pre- 
dicted that  the  ten  horns  shall,  in  the  end,  persecute  and 
destroy  her  whose  allies  and  defenders  they  have  been. 
Their  love  will  be  turned  to  such  hatred  that  they  shall 
make  her  desolate,  and  burn  her  with  fire.  But  whilst 
this  remains  to  be  fulfilled,  is  it  not  true  that  some  earnest 
has  been  already  given  of  its  final  and  complete  accom- 
plishment ?  Where  is  the  German  empire,  the  chief  pillar 
of  the  papacy  at  the  period  of  its  greatest  strength  ? 
Large  portions  of  it  have  become  Protestant,  and  hate  the 
woman  who  v^^as  seated  on  many  waters.  What  a  mighty 
change  has  taken   place   in   France — that   country,   the 


138  REVELATION. 

sovereigns  of  which  did  so  much  to  establish  the  Pope  in 
his  usurpations,  both  ecclesiastical  and  political !  Some 
of  the  effects  of  the  French  Revolution,  which  broke  out 
in  1792,  were  noticed  under  the  sixth  vial.  True,  it  is 
still  a  Roman  Catholic  country,  but  the  reformed  religion 
is  not  only  tolerated,  but  supported  by  the  government. 
And  has  not  Spain,  too,  long  since  insisted  upon  the  banish- 
ment of  the  Jesuits  from  that  country,  and  even  caused  the 
immense  revenues  of  the  monastic  establishments  to  be 
sequestrated  to  the  State  ?  Protestant  England  once  gave 
its  power  to  the  Pope,  and  Switzerland  was  one  of  the 
battle-fields  of  the  Reformation.  The  time  is  coming  when 
the  inhabitants  of  all  Popish  countries,  who  now  fulfill  the 
divine  will  by  sustaining  and  perpetuating  the  power  of  the 
beast,  will  desert  and  turn  against  the  apostate  church, 
which,  by  seeking  and  swaying  civil  power,  has  built  itself 
up  in  the  world,  and  at  the  same  time  proved  that  it  did 
not  belong  to  that  kingdom  which  Christ  came  to  establish, 
and  which  he  declared  was  not  of  this  world.  That  time 
only  awaits  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy. 

'•  Behold  I  come  quickly."     "  The  Spirit  and  the  bride 
say,  Come." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

1  And  after  these  things  I  saw  another  angel  come  down  from  hea- 
ven, having  great  power;  and  the  earth  was  Hghtened  with  his 

2  glory.  And  he  cried  mightily  with  a  strong  voice,  saying,  Babylon 
the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  and  is  become  the  habitation  of  de\als, 
and  the  hold  of  every  foul  spirit,  and  a  cage  of  every  unclean  and 

3  hateful  bird.  For  all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  her  fornication,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  forni- 
cation with  her,  and  the  merchants  of  the  earth  are  waxed  rich 

4  through  the  abundance  of  her  delicacies.  And  I  heard  another 
voice  from  heaven,  saying.  Come  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be 
not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues. 

5  For  her  sins  have  reached  unto  heaven,  and  God  hath  remembered 

6  her  iniquities.  Reward  her  even  as  she  rewarded  you,  and  double 
unto  her  double  according  to  her  works :  in  the  cup  which  she  hath 

7  filled,  fill  to  her  double.  How  much  she  hath  glorified  herself,  and 
lived  deliciously,  so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  her :  for  she 
saith  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am  no  widow,  and  shall  see  no 

8  sorrow.  Therefore  shall  her  plagues  come  in  one  day,  death,  and 
mourning,  and  famine ;  and  she  shall  be  utterly  burned  with  fire, 
for  strong  is  the  Lord  God  who  judgeth  her. 

A  POWERFUL  angel  is  here  represented  descending  from 
heaven  and  enlightening  the  earth  with  his  glory,  proclaim- 
ing the  fall  of  Babylon,  and  her  punishment,  together  with 
the  crimes  which  deserved  it.  Babylon  is  described  as 
becoming  the  hold  of  foul  spirits,  a  habitation  of  demons, 
and  a  cage  of  unclean  birds.  These  are  figurative  ex- 
pressions peculiar  to  the  ancient  prophets,  designed  to  set 
forth  a  scene  of  utter  desolation.  The  great  crime  men- 
tioned against  Babylon,  and  for  which  she  is  visited  with 
this  utter  desolation,  is  her  fornication  ;  that  is,  idolatry. 
In  this  spiritual  adultery,  the  kings  and  inhabitants  of 
Romish  countries   have   almost   universally  participated 


140  REVELATION. 

Proof  of  this  has  been  already  adduced.  "  Tell  us  not," 
says  the  author  of  Ancient  Christianity,  "  how  the  few  may 
possibly  steer  clear  of  the  fatal  errors,  and  avoid  a  gross 
idolatry,  while  admitting  such  practices.  What  will  be 
their  effect  with  the  multitude  ?  The  actual  condition  of 
the  mass  of  the  people  in  all  countries  where  popery  has 
been  unchecked,  gives  us  a  sufficient  answer  to  this  ques- 
tion ;  nor  do  we  scruple  to  condemn  these  practices  as 
abominable  idolatries.  Tell  us  not  how  Fenelon  or  Pascal 
might  extricate  themselves  from  this  impiety  :  what  are  the 
frequenters  of  churches  in  Naples  and  Madrid  ?  nothing 
better  than  the  grossest  polytheists,  and  far  less  rationally 
religious  than  were  their  ancestors  of  the  times  of  Numa 
and  Pythagoras." 

The  apostle  records  what  he  heard  another  voice  from 
heaven  say.  It  commanded  the  people  of  God  to  come 
out  of  Babylon,  that  they  might  not  be  "  partakers  of  her 
sins,  and  of  her  plagues."  The  voice  then  describes  the 
heinousness  of  her  sins,  in  the  sight  of  heaven ;  and 
declares  that  her  punishment  should  be  in  proportion  to  her 
crimes.  "  Double  unto  her  double  according  to  her  works." 
Her  plagues  shall  come  in  "  one  day,"  that  is,  suddenly  ; 
"and  she  shall  be  utterly  burned  with  fire."  Some  insist 
upon  understanding  the  burning  with  fire  literally,  but  this 
is  not  necessary  ;  it  is  enough  to  understand  it  as  strongly 
figurative  of  complete  destruction. 

In  the  remainder  of  the  chapter  the  fall  of  Rome  is  more 
fully  declared,  and  the  manner  in  which  different  classes 
would  be  affected  by  her  fall  particularly  described. 

9  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  have  committed  fornication  and 
lived  dehciously  with  her,  shall  bewail  her,  and  lament  for  her,  when 

10  they  shall  see  the  smoke  of  her  burning.     Standing  afar  off  for  the 
fear  of  her  torment,  saying,  Alas,  alas !  that  great  city  Babylon, 

11  that  mighty  city  !  for  in  one  hour  is  thy  judgment  come.     And  the 
merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep  and  mourn  over  her;  for  no  man 


CHAPTER  XVHI.  141 

12  buyeth  their  merchandise  any  more :  The  merchandise  of  gold, 
and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  of  pearls,  and  fine  linen,  and 
purple,  and  silk,  and  scarlet,  and  all  thyine  wood,  and  all  manner 
vessels  of  ivory,  and  all  manner  vessels  of  most  precious  wood,  and 

13  of  brass,  and  iron,  and  marble,  And  cinnamon,  and  odors,  and 
ointments,  and  frankincense,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and  fine  Hour,  and 
wheat,  and  beasts,  and  sheep,  and  horses,  and  chariots,  and  slaves, 

14  and  souls  of  men.  And  the  fruits  that  thy  soul  lusted  after  are 
departed  from  thee,  and  all  things  which  were  dainty  and  goodly 
are  departed  from  thee,  and  thou  shalt  find  them  no  more  at  all. 

15  The  merchants  of  these  things  which  were  made  rich  by  her,  shall 
stand  afar  ofTj  for  the  fear  of  her  torment,  weeping  and  wailing, 

16  And  saying,  Alas,  alas !  that  great  city,  that  was  clothed  in  fine 
linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  decked  with  gold,  and  precious 

17  stones  and  pearls.  For  in  one  hour  so  great  riches  has  come  to 
naught.     And  every  ship-master,  and  all  the  company  in  ships,  and 

18  sailors,  and  as  many  as  trade  by  sea,  stood  afar  off.  And  cried  when 
they  saw  the  smoke  of  her  burriing,  saying.  What  city  is  like  unto 

19  this  great  city  !  And  they  cast  dust  on  their  heads,  and  cried,  weep- 
ing and  wailing,  saying,  Alas,  alas  !  that  great  city,  wherein  were 
made  rich  all  that  had  ships  in  the  sea  by  reason  of  her  costliness  ! 

20  for  in  one  hour  is  she  made  desolate.  Rejoice  over  her,  thou  hea- 
ven, and  ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets ;  for  God  hath  avenged  you 

21  on  her.  And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a  stone  like  a  great  mill-stone, 
and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying.  Thus  with  violence  shall  that  great 
city  Babylon  be  thrown  down,   and  shall  be  found  no  more  at  all. 

22  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and  musicians,  and  of  pipers,  and  trum- 
peters, shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee;  and  no  craftsman,  of 
whatsoever  craft  he  be,  shall  be  found  any  more  in  thee;    and  the 

23  sound  of  a  mill-stone  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee.  And 
the  light  of  a  candle  shall  shine  no  more  at  all  in  thee;  and  the  voice 
of  the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee : 
for  thy  merchants  were  the  great  men  of  the  earth ;  for  by  thy  sor- 

24  ceries  were  all  nations  deceived.  And  in  her  was  found  the  blood 
of  prophets,  and  of  saints,  and  of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the  earth. 

The  kings  of  the  earth,  who  have  participated  in  her 
spiritual  adultery,  are  represented  as  bewailing  her,  as 
they  stand  beholding  her  overthrow — "  the  smoke  of  her 
burning."  And  the  merchants  of  the  earth,  who  have 
been  aggrandized  by  her  superstitions  and  impostures,  as 


142  REVELATION. 

well  as  the  rulers  of  Roman  Catholic  countries,  will  join 
in  the  lamentation  over  her.  The  catalogue  of  the  articles 
of  traffic  and  commerce,  which  follows,  is  descriptive  of 
the  magnificence,  splendor  and  luxury  of  papal  Rome. 
The  enumeration,  in  this  strikingly  descriptive  catalogue, 
closes  with  "  souls  of  men."  Without  stopping  to  show 
how  the  various  articles  here  enumerated  apply  more  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  church  than  they  do  to  ancient  pagan 
Rome,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  inquire  in  what  sense  it  could 
be  said  that  ancient  Rome  made  merchandise  of  the  souls 
of  men.  But  that  the  papal  church  has  been  guilty  of  this 
enormous  crime  is  sufficiently  proved  by  her  doctrines  of 
purgatory,  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  indulgences,  by  which 
her  immense  revenues  have  been  supplied.  That  im- 
mense fabric,  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  which  continues  to  be 
the  wonder  of  the  world,  was  erected  with  the  silver  and 
gold  procured  by  the  sale  of  indulgences,  that  is,  by  sell- 
ing to  men  the  privilege  of  sinning  :  and  what  was  this  but 
merchandise  in  immortal  souls  ?  It  was  this  very  traffic, 
carried  on  by  the  celebrated  Tetzel  in  Germany,  which, 
more  than  any  thing  else,  served  to  arouse  the  intrepid 
spirit  of  Martin  Luther. 

Next  the  mariners  are  represented  as  bewailing  her. 
They  had  been  enriched  "  by  reason  of  her  costliness," 
i.  e.  in  the  transportation  of  her  commodities.  The  Roman 
Catholic  countries  of  Europe,  Spain,  Portugal,  France,  and 
the  far-famed  Venice,  have  stood  foremost  in  commercial 
pursuits,  which  consisted,  in  no  small  degree,  in  the  trans- 
portation of  costly  articles  to  be  used  in  buildings,  furni- 
ture, equipage,  dress,  &c.,  gathered  from  all  climes.  We 
are  thus  relieved  from  the  embarrassment  that  would  be 
unavoidable,  if  we  understood  the  prophecy  here  as  rela- 
ting to  ancient  Rome,  and  speaking  of  it  as  so  largely  en- 
gaged in  maritime  trade.     We  have  no  difficulty  whatever 


CHAPTER  XVI  IT.  143 

with  the  prominent  part  which  seamen  take  in  this  lament, 
understanding  it  as  made  over  papal,  and  not  pagan  Rome. 
So  much  of  the  maritime  as  is  here  introduced,  is  altogether 
natural,  if  we  understand,  by  Babylon,  the  Roman  Catholic 
church  ;  but  it  is  out  of  place,  and  unmeaning,  if  we  under- 
stand the  Roman  empire  in  the  time  of  Nero. 

While  kings,  merchants,  and  seamen  of  Romish  coun- 
tries are  lamenting  the  fall  of  spiritual  Babylon,  the  holy 
apostles,  and  prophets,  and  the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  are 
called  upon  to  exult  and  rejoice  over  her.  This  passage 
may  be  thought  to  breathe  the  spirit  of  hostility  and  re- 
venge ;  but  to  approve  of,  and  rejoice  in  the  righteous 
judgments  of  God  on  incorrigible  offenders,  is  no  breach 
of  the  spirit  of  benevolence.  "  Rebuke,"  observes  Edward 
Irving,  in  his  Introductory  Essay  to  Home  on  the  Psalms, 
"  is  a  form  of  charity  ;  and  censure,  and  excommunication, 
yea,  and  total  abandonment  for  a  while.  Truth  is  always 
a  form  of  charity.  Christ  brought  mercy  to  the  earth,  and 
in  the  Gospel  builded  for  her  an  ark,  in  which  she  might 
swim  over  the  deluge  of  cruelty  which  covereth  the  earth. 
Yet  how  terrible  is  that  Gospel  m  its  revelation  to  the 
wicked,  how  unsparing  of  the  world,  how  cruel  to  the  flesh, 
how  contemptuous  of  good-natured  formality,  how  awfully 
vindictive  against  hypocrisy."  "  It  is  the  capital  principle 
of  all  sound  doctrine,  that  the  world  is  to  be  destroyed.  It 
is  the  deep-rooted  source  of  all  heretical  doctrine,  that  the 
world  is  to  be  mended.  Until  the  sceptre  of  the  world  is 
broken  in  pieces,  charity  can  find  no  room,  but  is  fain  to 
flee  into  the  wilderness.  Out  of  the  same  charity,  there- 
fore, ought  the  Christian  to  adopt  these  expressions  of  his 
hatred  to  the  forms  and  fruits  of  wickedness,  that  he  ex- 
presseth  his  longing  desire  that  the  souls  of  the  wicked 
should  be  set  free  and  saved." 

To  confirm  and  render  more  vivid  the  sudden  and  utter 


144  REVELATION. 

destruction  of  the  papal  anti-Christ,  we  have  the  emblem  of 
a  great  mill-stone  cast  into  the  sea,  to  represent  the  vio- 
lence with  which  Babylon  will  be  thrown  down.  Then 
the  music  for  which  she  has  so  long  been  distinguished 
will  cease ;  and  artists  will  no  more  furnish  specimens  in 
painting  and  sculpture  to  adorn  Romish  churches.  The 
light  of  candles  shall  be  put  out,  and  the  voice  of  the  bride 
and  the  bridegroom  shall  be  heard  no  more. 

Who  can  pretend  that  this  part  of  John's  prophecy  has  al- 
ready been  fulfilled  1  Is  not  Rome  still  standing,  and,  not- 
withstanding her  reverses,  flourishing  too  ?  Does  not  the 
pretended  successor  of  St.  Peter  still  issue  his  bulls  and  de- 
cretals from  the  Vatican  ?  Does  he  not  still  sit  in  the  por- 
phyry chair,  and  wear  the  triple  crown  ?  Does  not  Rome 
still  resound  with  singers  and  musicians,  and  adorn  her 
cathedrals  and  churches  with  sculpture  and  painting  ?  .  Do 
not  candles,  lamps,  and  torches,  still  burn  on  her  altars,  by- 
day  as  well  as  by  night  ? 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

1  And  after  these  things  I  heard  a  great  voice  of  much  people  in  hea- 
ven, saying,  Alleluia !  Salvation,  and  glory,  and  honor,  and  power, 

2  unto  the  Lord  our  God :  For  true  and  righteous  are  his  judgments : 
for  he  hath  judged  the  great  whore,  which  did  corrupt  the  earth  with 
her  fornication,  and  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his  servants  at  her 

3  hand.   And  again  they  said.  Alleluia.    And  her  smoke  rose  up  for  ever 

4  and  ever.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  four  beasts  fell 
down  and  worshipped  God  that  sat  on  the  throne,  saying.  Amen ;  AUe- 

5  luia.   And  a  voice  came  out  of  the  throne,  saying.  Praise  our  God,  all 

6  ye  his  servants,  ^nd  ye  that  fear  him,  both  small  and  great.  And  I 
heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude,  and  as  the  voice  of 
many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings,  saying,  Alle- 

7  luia:  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth.  Let  us  be  glad  and 
rejoice,  and  give  honor  to  him :    for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is 

8  come,  and  his  wife  hath  made  herself  ready.  And  to  her  was  granted 
that  she  should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white :    for  the 

9  fine  linen  is  the  righteousness  of  saints.  And  he  saith  unto  me, 
Write,  Blessed  are  they  which  are  called  unto  the  marriage-sup- 
per of  the   Lamb.      And   he  saith  unto  me,   These  are  the  true 

10  sayings  of  God.  And  I  fell  at  his  feet  to  worship  him.  And  he 
said  unto  me.  See  tliou  do  it  not:  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of 
thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus :  worship  God :  for 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 

We  now  enter  on  the  chapter  which  completes  the  catas- 
trophe of  Rome,  and  brings  to  a  close  Part  Fourth,  in 
our  analysis  of  this  book.  It  contains  the  songs  of  rejoic- 
ing which  will  be  sung  when  this  polluted  city  is  no  more. 

First,  John  heard  a  voice  of  much  people  in  heaven  join- 
ing in  praises  and  thanksgiving  to  God,  for  the  faithfulness 
of  his  promise  in  visiting  with  judgment  an  apostate  and 
corrupt  church.  He  also  hears  the  four  and  twenty  elders 
respond,  as  they  fall  down  and  worship  God,  saying, 
Amen ;  Alleluia.  Then  came  a  voice  from  the  throne, 
13 


146  REVELATION. 

exhorting  the  servants  of  God  to  praise  him ;  and  imme- 
diately was  heard  "  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude,  and  as 
the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  many  thun- 
derings,  saying,  Alleluia,  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reign- 
eth."  The  epitlialamium  to  be  sung  at  the  marriage-supper 
of  the  Lamb  follows.  Well  may  the  bride,  impatient  for 
the  hour  when  she  shall  be  made  ready,  arrayed  in  pure, 
fine  linen,  which  means  iJie  rigJiteoustiess  of  the  saints,  cry 
out,  Come,  my  Lord. 

How  much  cheering  consolation  must  have  been  re- 
ceived by  suffering  Christians  in  former  times,  and  may 
still  be  derived  by  believers,  who  see  the  wide-spread 
errors  of  apostasy  and  superstition,  from  these  glorious 
disclosures  of  the  future  triumph  of  the  church  ! 

11  And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  behold,  a  white  horse;  and  he  that 
sat  upon  him  teas  called  Faithful  and  True,  and  in  righteousness 

12  he  doth  judge  and  make  war.  His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and 
on  his  head  were  many  crowns ;  and  he  had  a  name  written,  that 

13  no  man  knew,  but  he  himself.     And  he  was  clothed  with  a  vesture 

14  dipped  in  blood :  and  his  name  is  called  The  Word  of  God.  And 
the  armies  tchich  were  in  heaven  followed  him  upon  white  horses, 

15  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and  clean.  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth 
a  sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations :  and  he 
shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron :  and  he  treadeth  the  wine-press 

16  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty  God.  And  he  hath  on  his 
vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written,  KING  OF  KINGS 

17  AND  LORD  OF  LORDS.  And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in  the 
sun ;  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying  to  all  the  fowls  that 
fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  Come,  and  gather  yourselves  together 

18  unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God :  That  ye  may  eat  the  flesh  of 
kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains,  and  the  flesh  of  mighty  men,  and 
the  flesh  of  horses,  and  of  them  that  sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of 

19  all  men,  both  free  and  bond,  both  small  and  great.  And  I  saw  the 
beast,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  their  armies,  gathered  together 
to  make  war  against  him  that  sat  on  the  horse,  and  against  his 

20  army.  And  the  beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  false  prophet 
that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  deceived  them  that 


CHAPTER  XIX.  147 

had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  them  that  worshipped  his 
image.  These  both  were  cast  ahve  into  a  lake  of  fire  burning  with 
21  brimstone.  And  the  remnant  were  slain  with  the  sword  of  him  that 
sat  upon  the  horse,  which  sword  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth  :  and 
all  the  fowls  were  filled  with  their  flesh. 

A  sublime  description  of  our  Saviour  and  His  redeemed, 
led  forth  by  Him,  in  battle  array,  to  the  last  conflict  with 
anti-Christian  powers.  The  white  horse,  it  is  proper  to 
notice  here,  is  not  an  emblem  of  bloodshed  ;  and  the 
glorious  Leader  that  sat  on  him,  whose  name  was  The 
Word  of  God,  was  not  clad  in  the  armor  of  a  warrior, 
but  Iiad  on  His  head  many  crowns,  and  was  clothed  in  a 
vesture  dipped  in  blood,  as  an  emblem  of  His  great  atoning 
work.  The  imagery  is  similar  to  that  employed  in 
describing  what  John  saw  when  the  first  seal  was  opened  ; 
which  was  applied  to  the  early  spread  of  the  Gospel. 
Moreover,  the  armies  which  followed  him  were  also  upon 
white  horses,  and  were  clothed  in  fine  linen.  An  angel 
appears  in  the  sun  to  call  the  fowls  of  heaven  to  feast  on 
the  flesh  of  those  about  to  fall.  This  imagery  is  appropri- 
ate to  carry  out  the  figure  of  a  battle.  The  battle  ensues  ; 
the  beast  is  taken,  (the  beast  that  came  up  from  the  earth, 
and  has  exercised  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast,  and  even 
caused  his  image  to  be  worshipped,)  and  with  him  the 
false  prophet,  i.  e.  the  Romish  priesthood,  with  the  Pope  at 
their  head,  and  are  "  cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire,  burning 
with  brimstone."  "  And  the  remnant  were  slain  by  the 
sword  of  Him  that  sat  upon  the  horse,  which  sword  pro- 
ceedeth  out  of  his  mouth.^^  This  last  expression,  which 
swordy  &c.,  furnishes  another  important  hint  as  to  the 
meaning  of  the  highly  figurative  description  of  this  final 
conflict.  The  sword  proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth,  i.  e.  it 
is  his  Word,  his  glorious  Gospel ;  the  sword  of  the  Spirit, 
we  are  elsewhere  expressly  taught,  is  the  Word  of  God, 


148  REVELATION. 

The  power  of  the  Pope  will  be  suddenly  and  awfully 
broken,  and  no  doubt  by  judgments,  and  the  popish  re- 
ligion destroyed  ;  and  then  those  who  had  received  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  and  worshipped  his  image,  shall  be 
slain  by  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  i.  e.  they  shall  be  con- 
verted to  be  the  true  and  humble  disciples  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  But  we  do  not  desire  to  speak  too  confi- 
dently of  the  precise  meaning  of  language  which  remains 
to  be  fulfilled.  Enough  for  us  to  know  that  the  divine 
purposes  are  ripening  fast ;  that 

"  God  is  His  own  interpreter, 
And  He  will  make  it  plain." 


PART    FIFTH. 

LATTER    DAY    GLORY;    BATTLE    OF    GOG   AND    MAGOG;    FINAL 
JUDGMENT  ;     HEAVENLY    STATE. CHAPS.  XX.-XXII. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

1  And  I  saw  an  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key  of  the 

2  bottomless  pit  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand.  And  he  laid  hold  on 
the  dragon,  that  old  serpent  which  is  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  and  bound 

3  him  a  thousand  years.  And  cast  him  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut 
him  up,  and  set  a  seal  upon  him,  that  he  should  deceive  the  nations 
no  more,  till  the  thousand  years  should  be  fulfilled :  and  after  that  he 

4  must  be  loosed  a  little  season.  And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon 
them,  and  judgment  was  given  unto  them :  and  I  saw  the  souls  of 
them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word 
of  God,  and  which  had  not  worshipped  the  beast,  neither  his  image, 
neither  had  received  his  mark  upon  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands ; 

5  and  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years.  But  the 
rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again  until  the  thousand  years  were  finished, 

6  This  is  the  first  resurrection.  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part 
in  the  first  resurrection:  on  such  the  second  death  hath  no  power, 
but  they  shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign  with 
him  a  thousand  years. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  passage  relates  to  the 
future ;  and  that  it  does  not  become  us  to  embark  with  un- 
tempered  zeal  in  the  defense  of  any  theory  which  is  to 
settle  the  manner  in  which  every  minute  particular  in  the 
prophecy  is  certainly  to  be  fulfilled.  The  nature  of  the 
subject  dictates  modesty  and  caution.  When  we  come  to 
what  is  future  in  a  book,  containing,  as  we  have  seen,  in 
13* 


150  REVELATION. 

predictions  already  fulfilled,  so  much  that  is  highly  sym- 
bolical, what  need  there  is  of  "  great  wisdom,  sobriety  and 
reverence."  "  The  folly  of  interpreters,"  observes  Sir  L 
Newton,  "  has  been  to  foretell  times  and  things  by  this 
prophecy,  as  if  God  designed  to  make  them  prophets.  By 
this  rashness,  they  have  not  only  exposed  themselves,  but 
brought  the  prophecy  into  contempt.  The  design  of  God 
was  much  otherwise.  He  gave  this,  and  the  prophecies 
of  the  Old  Testament,  not  to  gratify  men's  curiosities,  by 
enabling  them  to  foreknov/  things,  but  that  after  they  were 
fulfilled,  they  might  be  interpreted  by  the  event,  and  his 
own  providence." 

That  diversity  of  interpretation,  which  has  resulted  from 
the  inquiries  of  different  individuals,  equally  intent  on 
knowing  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  and  equally  sincere  in 
declaring  their  convictions,  ouglit  not  to  discourage  the 
hope  that,  as  the  science  of  biblical  criticism  advances, 
greater  uniformity  of  exposition,  even  of  passages  long  dis- 
puted, will  be  attained.  Whatever  difficulties,  or  whatever 
difference  of  views  may  exist  in  regard  to  the  right  interpre- 
tation of  Rev.  XX.  1-6,  it  is  admitted  by  all,  I  believe,  to 
refer  to  that  happy  and  long-expected  period,  when  all  men 
shall  know  the  Lord.  Nearly  all  evangelical  Christians  are 
looking  forward  to  sucli  an  era,  and  are  endeavoring  to 
animate  their  faith  and  hope  by  the  expectation  of  its  speedy 
approach.  The  wild  speculations  and  fancies  in  which 
writers  on  the  millennium,  in  former  times,  indulged,  have, 
for  the  most  part,  been  laid  aside ;  and  the  subject  is  now 
discussed  in  a  more  sober  and  rational  manner,  and  more 
scriptural  views  are  believed  to  prevail  in  regard  to  it. 
Considerable  diversity  of  opinion,  however,  will  probably 
exist  until  the  fullness  of  time  is  come.  We  are  to  exer- 
cise great  caution  and  soberness  in  all  our  inquiries  on 
this  subject,  and  pray  for  the  presence  of  that  Spirit  that 


CHAPTER  XX.  151 

guides  into  all  truth.  In  regard  to  every  matter  not  made 
plain  by  the  word  of  God,  let  us  patiently  wait,  until  time 
shall  develop  and  unfold  every  particular. 

The  passage  now  to  be  examined  is  the  one  on  which 
literalists,  as  they  prefer  to  be  styled,  mainly  rely  for  proof 
that  Christ  is  to  reign  in  person,  i.  e.  visibly  to  the  eye  of 
sense,  on  earth  during  the  millennium,  and  that  the  saints 
will  be  raised  from  the  dead  to  reign  with  him.  But  the 
more  judicious  of  this  class  of  interpreters  cannot,  and  do 
not  insist  on  a  literal  interpretation,  but  admit  "  that  it  is 
a  passage  which  is  both  figurative  and  symbolical,  and 
that  it  cannot  be  successfully  defended  on  the  ground  of  a 
strictly  literal  interpretation."*  An  angel  coming  down 
from  heaven,  with  a  great  chain  in  his  hand,  and  the  key 
of  the  bottomless  pit,  etc.,  they  admit  to  be  symbolical  ; 
but  the  words.  This  is  the  first  resurrection,  they  maintain, 
are  expository,  and  intended  to  be  literally  understood. 
They  further  admit  that  the  Apocalypse  is  figurative 
throughout,  with  the  exception  of  incidental  passages, 
which  are  expository  and  of  a  literal  character.  Such 
passages  are  interwoven  with  all  prophecies,  and  are  ne- 
cessary, in  order  to  give  them  a  definite  meaning  or  appli- 
cation. In  view  of  such  admissions,  it  is  hard  to  under- 
stand how  they  can  claim  an  exclusive  right  to  be  styled 
literalists. 

The  binding  of  Satan,  and  his  being  cast  into  the  bottom- 
less pit,  may  be  taken  as  symbolical  of  a  complete  arrest 
of  Satanic  influence,  to  follow  upon  the  destruction  of  anti- 
Christian  powers.  The  destraction  of  these  powers  having 
been  foretold,  it  remained  that  the  poweiful  agent,  who  had 
animated  them,  whose  instrumeTits  they  had  been,  should 
also  be  punished.     He  is  styled  "  the  dragon,"  and  is  the 

*  See  "Essays  on  the  Advent  and  Kingdom  of  Christ,"  by  the  Rev. 
J.  W.  Brooks,  ed.  PhUa.,  1840,  p.  67,  seq. 


153  REVELATION. 

same  mentioned,  chap.  xii.  3,  there  described  as  anhnating 
the  heathen  magistracy  of  ancient  Rome,  in  carrying  on 
persecution.  This  suspension  of  satanic  agency  among  men 
is  to  continue  a  thousand  years  ;  and  immediately  on  the 
binding  of  Satan,  the  reign  of  righteousness  and  peace  will 
commence.  The  millennium  is  a  name  obviously  derived 
from  the  thousand  years  here  spoken  of:  it  is  used  to  de- 
signate that  period  of  signal  prosperity  to  the  church  of 
Christ,  frequently  denominated  the  latter  day  glory,  which 
the  prophets  predicted,  when  Jesus  will  be  acknowledged 
King  of  nations.  After  the  expiration  of  the  thousand 
years,  it  is  predicted  that  Satan  must  be  loosed  a  little 
season. 

In  the  fourth  verse,  it  is  said  John  saw  thrones,  and  he 
saw  the  souls  of  them  "  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness 
of  Jesus,"  and  that  "  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a 
thousand  years."  In  the  fifth  verse  it  is  said,  "  this  is  the 
first  resurrection."  It  is  from  this  passage  that  the  advo- 
cates of  millenarian  doctrine  undertake  to  prove  that  the 
second  visible  appearing  of  Christ  will  be  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  millennium,  when  he  will  come  to  reign 
on  the  earth,  and  to  raise  the  dead  saints  to  reign  with 
him.  They  believe  that  the  general  resurrection  will  not 
take  place  until  the  expiration  of  the  thousand  years,  thus 
making  two  distinct  resurrections,  and  separating  the 
resurrection  of  the  righteous,  by  a  long  interval,  from  the 
resurrection  of  the  wicked.  They  believe,  in  subversion 
of  the  commonly  received  doctrine  of  the  day  of  judgment, 
that  this  day  begins  with  the  thousand  years,  and  includes 
the  whole  period  of  the  millennium,  and  that  the  expression, 
judgment  ic  as  given  unto  them,  means  that  judicial  authority 
will  be  given  to  our  Lord  and  his  saints  during  the  thousand 
years  reign  ;  at  the  same  time  they  seem  to  teach  that  the 
wicked  will   not  be  raised  until  the  thousand  years  end. 


CHAPTER  XX.  153 

The  day  of  judgment,  in  their  view,  instead  of  being  a  day 
when  God  will  vindicate  his  government  before  the  uni- 
verse, by  adjudicating  between  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked,  is  that  period  of  time  when  all  disorders  shall 
cease  "  in  the  intelligent  universe,"  (surely  it  cannot  be 
meant  to  include  the  world  of  lost  spirits,)  and  all  iniquity 
be  aestroyed.*  Another  feature  of  their  system  is,  that 
the  Jews  will  be  restored  to  Palestine,  and  raised  to  high 
distinction,  under  the  kingly  authority  of  Messiah.  They 
also  believe  that  the  church  will  become  a  politico-ecclesi- 
astical establishment,  with  the  Lord  Jesus  as  an  earthly 
sovereign  at  its  head,  exercising  "  all  that  power  over  the 
bodies  of  men  and  their  external  circumstances,  which  is 
at  present  exercised  by  the  kings  of  the  earth. ""j"  All 
these  features  of  their  system,  with  the  exception,  perhaps, 
of  the  restoration  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land,  and  the 
peculiar  honor  to  be  conferred  on  them  they  claim,  are 
either  distinctly  taught,  or  clearly  implied,  in  Rev.  xx.  1-6. 
I  do  not  mean  that  this  passage  is  the  only  one  which 
they  adduce  in  support  of  their  sentiments;  neverthe- 
less it  is  regarded  as  the  "  royal  prediction,"  the  key 
which  opens  many  other  passages  which  prove  the  same 
doctrines. 

Those  who  hold  the  opinions  above  set  forth,  lay  great 
stress  on  the  woyA  first,  in  the  declaration.  This  is  the  first 
resurrection,  as  proving  that  the  nature  of  the  resurrection 
here  spoken  of,  must  be  the  same  as  that  mentioned  at  the 
close  of  the  chapter.  And  the  sea  gave  vp  the  dead  ichich 
were  in  it,  &c.,  which  evidently  describes  the  final  resur- 
rection. Hence  they  maintain  that  there  will  be  two 
resurrections  ;  one  of  the  just,  at  the  opening  of  the  mil- 

*  See  preface  to  The  Pre-Millennial  Advent  of  Messiah,  by  Wm. 
Cuninghame,  Esq.,  ed.  Phila.,  1840,  p.  15,  seq. 
t  See  Anderson's  Apology,  ed.  Phiia.,  1840,  p.  31,  seq. 


154  REVELATION. 

lennium,  and  another  of  the  unjust,  at  a  long  interval  sub- 
sequent to  the  former,  at  the  end  of  the  millennium,  and 
that  this  last  resurrection,  instead  of  preceding,  will  close 
the  day  of  judgment.  But  the  idea  of  there  being  two 
resurrections,  so  widely  separated  as  to  time,  seems  to  be 
utterly  at  variance  with  the  teaching  of  Scripture.  At  all 
events  we  should  expect,  when  the  doctrine  of  the  resur- 
rection is  so  fully  set  forth  in  the  New  Testament,  that 
any  thing  so  peculiar  as  the  notion  of  there  being  two 
entirely  distinct  resurrections,  would  be  clearly  taught  in 
more  passages  than  one.  In  1  Cor.  xv.,  which  relates 
almost  exclusively  to  the  resurrection,  we  should  expect 
to  find  some  intimation  that  the  resurrection  of  the  saints 
is  to  precede  the  resurrection  of  the  wicked  by  a  thousand 
years,  if  so-peculiar  a  view  of  this  great  doctrine  is  taught 
anywhere  in  the  word  of  God.  But  in  this  chapter  we 
learn  that  there  shall  be  a  universal  resurrection,  "  every 
man  in  his  own  order,"  at  the  coming  of  Christ.  The 
coming  of  Christ  is  spoken  of  as  one  event  which  points 
out  the  time  v>'hen  all  shall  be  made  alive,  every  man  in 
his  own  order.  If,  in  this  chapter,  it  is  made  certain  at  all 
that  the  unjust  shall  be  raised,  it  is  made  equally  certain 
that  they  shall  be  raised  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  when  it 
is  declared  that  they  that  are  Christ's  shall  be  raised. 

The  following  passage,  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  the  first 
epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  is  sometimes  quoted  as  refer- 
ring to  the  very  same  jirst  resurrection  mentioned  in  the 
Apocalypse  ;  "  For  the  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from 
heaven  with  a  shout,  witli  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  apd 
with  the  trump  of  God,  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise 
Jirst."  But  a  moment's  examination  of  the  context  is  all 
that  is  necessary  to  show  that  the  word  Jirst,  in  this  place, 
cannot  have  the  meaning  which  millenarians  attach  to  it 
in  the  passage  in  Rev.  xx. ;  in  other  words,  that  it  cannot 


CHAPTER  XX.  155 

denote  the  former  of  two  resurftctions,  widely  distant 
from  each  other  in  point  of  time.  It  undeniably  refers  to 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead  saints,  before  the  living  ones 
are  caught  up  into  the  air :  "  For  this  we  say  unto  you,  by 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  we  which  are  alive,  and  remain 
unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  shall  not  prevent  (precede) 
them  which  are  asleep."  The  fact  that  there  is  no  resur- 
rection alluded  to  in  this  passage,  except  that  of  those  called 
the  dead  in  Christ,  is  of  no  account,  inasmuch  as  the  de- 
sign of  the  apostle,  in  speaking  of  the  resurrection,  had  no 
tendency  to  lead  him  to  allude,  even  remotely,  to  the  resur- 
rection of  the  wicked.  His  design  was  to  comfort  his 
brethren,  in  view  of  the  death  of  believers,  that  they  should 
not  grieve  at  their  departure,  "  even  as  others  which  have 
no  hope." 

The  passage  in  the  epistle  to  the  Philippians,  where 
Paul  says  that  he  sought  to  know  the  fellowship  of  Christ's 
sufferings,  &c.,  "  if  by  any  means  he  might  attain  unto 
THE  resurrection  of  the  dead,"  cannot  clearly  be  shown 
to  mean  any  thing  more  than  that  Paul  earnestly  desired  to 
attain  unto  "  the  resurrection  of  life,"  "  the  resurrection 
of  the  just,"  "a  better  resurrection,"  which  will  be  the 
reward  of  all  who  are  faithful  to  Christ,  unto  the  end. 
The  resurrection  of  which  Paul  speaks  so  emphatically,  is 
the  resurrection  of  the  saints,  in  distinction  from  the  resur- 
rection of  the  wicked.  This  latter  could  not  be  an  object 
of  desire — it  would  introduce  only  to  shame  and  everlast- 
ing contempt.  Let  it  here  be  observed,  that  we  make  a 
clear  distinction  between  the  resurrection  of  the  just  and 
the  resurrection  of  the  unjust,  and  admit  that  the  Scriptures 
seem  to  teach  that  the  former  will  precede  the  latter,  but 
in  no  such  sense  as  to  justify  the  idea  of  two  resurrection 
days.  It  will  be  distinction  enough  for  believers  to  be 
raised  up  to  glory,  and  I  cannot  see  how  any  higher  dis- 


156  REVELATION. 

tinction  could  have  beeii  meant,  by  the  Saviour's  declaring 
it  would  be  the  special  privilege  of  a  believer  "  that  he 
will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day,"  John  vi.  39,  40. 
How  could  such  a  resurrection  cease  to  be  a  distinction 
and^  a  privilege,  by  supposing  that  the  wicked  will  be 
raised  on  the  same  day  ? 

It  only  remains  to  refer  to  two  or  three  passages,  which 
require  no  exposition  to  show  the  plainest  reader  that  the 
resurrection  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  take  place 
together ;  i.  e.,  on  the  day  spoken  of  in  Scripture  as  the 
last  day.  In  Matt.  xxv.  31-46,  we  have  a  description  of 
the  Son  of  Man  on  the  throne  of  His  glory,  and  all  nations 
gathered  before  Him ;  we  have  the  process  of  the  judg- 
ment— the  righteous  and  the  wicked  separated — one  class 
entering  into  the  joy  of  their  Lord,  and  the  other  going 
away  into  everlasting  punishment.  How  men  who  insist 
on  being  regarded  as  literalists,  with  such  a  passage  as 
this  before  them,  can  hold  to  such  views  of  the  resurrec- 
tion, and  of  the  judgment  day,  as  have  been  stated,  it  is 
not  easy  to  understand.  Take  another  passage  :  John  v. 
28,  29.  "  The  hour  is  coming  in  the  which  all  that  are  in 
their  graves  shall  hear  His  voice,  and  shall  come  forth— 
they  that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life,  and 
they  that  have  done  evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  damna- 
tion." How  could  language  more  distinctly  teach  that  the 
resurrection  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  take  place  at 
the  same  time  1 

But,  even  if  we  admit  that  the  first  resurrection  is  literal, 
and  takes  place  at  the  opening  of  the  millennium — long 
anterior  to  the  general  resurrection — it  by  no  means  follows 
that  the  interpretation  of  this  passage  in  the  Apocalypse — 
which  is  adopted  by  the  advocates  of  millenarian  doctrine — 
is  the  true  one,  or  the  most  plausible.  It  by  no  means 
follows  that  the  Saviour  will  appear  visibly  to  reign  as  a 


CHAPTER  XX.  157 

Sovereign  on  earth,  or  that  there  will  be  a  visible  resurrec- 
tion of  the  saints,  or  any  number  of  them^  to  reign  with 
Him.  If  we  were  compelled  to  allow  that  there  will  be  a 
literal  resurrection  at  the  commencement  of  the  millennium, 
distinguished  from  the  final  resurrectioif,  it  might  still  be 
shown,  as  far  more  consistent  with  the  language  of  the 
seer,  that  it  will  be  a  resurrection  of  the  martyrs,  and  the 
martyrs  alone,  invisible  to  men  on  the  earth,  and  unattend- 
ed with  any  pomp  or  outward  tokens.  The  language,  "  I 
saw  thrones,"  may  much  more  naturally,  because  more 
in  accordance  with  other  parts  of  this  book,  be  referred  to 
^What  John  saw  as  taking  place  in  heaven,  and  exclusively 
appropriate  to  that  world.  Admitting,  therefore,  that  the 
first  resurrection  is  literal,  it  by  no  means  follows  that  the 
millenarian  interpretation,  that  all  the  saints  will  be  raised 
to  reign  on  the  earth  with  Christ,  during  the  thousand 
years,  is  the  true  one.  An  invisible  resurrection  of  the 
martyrs  to  reign  with  Christ  in  heaven,  is  a  doctrine  very 
different  from  that  of  the  millenarians. 

But  in  my  view  the  language,  "  the  souls  of  them  that 
were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus"  "lived  and  reign- 
ed with  Christ  a  thousand  years,"  may  simply  denote — 
in  accordance  with  the  manner  in  which,  as  we  have  seen, 
other  strong  and  impressive  figures  and  symbols  are  to  be 
interpreted  in  this  book — that  Christ  will  clearly  and 
manifestly  reign,  by  the  universal  diff'usion  of  the  Gospel 
— by  his  spotless  example  more  fully  displayed  in  the 
daily  walk  and  conversation  of  Christians — and  the  Holy 
Spirit  shed  abroad  more  abundantly  in  their  hearts.  And 
as  believers  more  resemble  Christ,  and  possess  more  of  his 
Spirit  in  their  hearts,  they  may  be  said  to  partake  more 
largely  in  the  honors  of  His  spiritual  kingdom,  and  thus 
to  reign  with  Him.  Christ  will  in  truth  reign  gloriously 
in  the  lattei*  day,  but  it  will  be  by  gracpe  in  the  hearts  of 
14 


158  REVELATION. 

His  people ;  and  they  will  reign  with  Him,  but  it  will  be 
with  the  joy  .and  gratitude  of  beholding  His  Gospel 
triumph  over  all  sin  and  error. 

The  figure  of  the  resurrection  is  carried  out,  vv.  5,  6, 
to  show  that  whiTst  the  pure  principles  of  the  Gospel — 
which  martyrs  illustrated  in  their  lives,  and  in  defense  of 
which  they  died — shall  be  gloriously  revived,  and  shall 
flourish,  the  errors  of  those  who  worshipped  the  beast  and 
his  image,  as  well  as  their  corrupt  practices,  shall  have  no 
existence — no  corresponding  reviviscence.  "  The  rest  of 
the  dead  lived  not  again  until  the  thousand  years  were 
finished."  This  refers  not  at  all  to  the  resurrection  of  the 
bodies  of  men,  but  the  point  of  the  antithesis  is  preserved 
by  referring  it  to  the  revival  of  wickedness  which  is  to  tak-e 
place  when  Satan  is  unbound — a  prediction,  by  the  way, 
which  is  utterly  irreconcilable  with  the  millenarian 
theory.  If  any  parts  of  the  Apocalypse  are  admitted  to 
be  fulfilled,  the  principle  of  interpretation,  by  which  those 
parts  are  explained,  will  lead  unavoidably  to  the  view  now 
presented  of  this  particular  passage.  The  book  abounds 
with  the  strongest  sensible  images  to  represent  moral  or 
spiritual  changes  and  events.  How  can  we  arbitrarily  lay 
aside  this  principle  of  interpretation  when  we  come  to 
Rev.  XX.  1-6,  and  make  that  teach  that  there  will  be  two 
distinct  resurrections  of  the  bodies  of  men,  when  there  is 
nothing  in  any  other  part  of  Scripture  which,  indepen- 
dently of  this  passage,  would  have  ever  suggested  the  idea  ? 
The  word  of  God,  on  the  contrary,  clearly  teaches  that 
there  will  be  one,  and  but  one,  resurrection  of  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked.  "  As  the  Jews,"  remarks  Dr.  Scott, 
with  great  force,  "  expected  Elijah  to  come  personally,  and 
knew  him  not  when  he  came,  mystically,  in  John  the 
Baptist,  so  I  apprehend  many  Christians,  and  M^n  of  the 
utmost  respectability  for  piety  and  learning,  ffltve  fallen 


CHAPTER  XX.  159 

into  the  same  mistake,  in  expecting  a  literal  and  personal 
resurrection  of  the  martyrs  at  the  opening  of  the  millen- 
nium ;  and  they  would  not  know  them  at  first,  when  they 
arise  m  a  numerous  race  of  Christians,  resembling  them  in 
all  their  most  eminent  graces."* 

As  to  the  particular  year  or  period  when  the  millennium 
will  begin,  there  appears  to  be  no  information  in  the  Word 
of  God  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  we  find  this  declaration 
among  the  very  last  words  uttered  by  our  Lord  before  He 
was  taken  up,  and  the  cloud  took  Him  out  of  the  disciples' 

*  "  If  I  read  the  Bible  right  at  all,  the  only  throne  which  the  Re- 
deemer is  ever  to  set  up  on  earth,  is  a  throne  in  the  heart.  *  *  *  * 
Other  views  bring  the  subject  down  from  its  proper  eminence.  What 
if  the  incarnate  Son  of  God  should  descend  from  heaven,  and  take  up 
his  abode  among  men,  would  this  be  better  for  a  dying  world  than  the 
ministration  of  the  Spirit  1  His  bodily  presence  could  only  be  in  one 
place  at  a  time.  *  *  *  But  his  presence,  by  the  Spirit,  in  the  word 
and  ordinances  of  his  house,  can  be  enjoyed  at  one  and  the  same 
moment,  wherever  men  lift  up  holy  hands,  without  wrath  and  doubt- 
ing. *  *  *  Far  be  it  from  me  to  dictate  to  the  Master ;  I  am  per- 
fectly willing  He  should  pursue  His  own  plan  for  regenerating  and 
sanctifying  the  nations  ;  but  I  can  never  be  unmindful  of  the  divinely 
attested  fact,  that  we  have  already  a  gift  which  is  far  more  valuable  than 
the  personal  presence  of  the  Savior  could  possibly  be.  I  would  not 
have  Him  take  back  His  own  words,  when  he  says.  It  is  expedient  for 
you  that  1  go  away.  For  the  world,  I  would  not  turn  off  the  eyes  of 
men  from  the  ministration  of  the  Spirit  to  any  theory  more  palpable,  or 
visible,  or  externally  impressive.  Living,  as  we  do,  in  the  very  midst 
of  the  Spirit's  reign — that  Spirit  that  was  to  come  in  the  Redeemer's 
stead — that  Spirit  who  is  the  author  of  our  precious  revivals — that 
Spirit  who  takes  of  the  things  of  Christ  and  shows  them  unto  men — 
what  can  we  wish  or  wait  for  more  1  It  is  altogether  a  retrograde 
movement  to  be  talking  now  of  a  revisible  throne,  and  an  imposing 
ritual.  *  *  *  For  myself,  I  am  free  to  say,  I  anticipate  no  such 
scenes.  It  is  enough  for  me  to  have  the  sceptre  of  the  blessed  Jesus 
swayed  over  my  affections,"  &c. — (See  "  The  Ministration  of  the 
Spirit,"  an  excellent  discourse  by  Dr.  Magie,  of  Elizabethtovvn,  in  the 
Nat.  Preacher.) 


160  REVELATION. 

sight,  "  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times,  or  the  seasons, 
which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power :"  Acts  i.  7. 

7  And  when  the  thousand  years  are  expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed 

J  8  out  of  his  prison.     And  shall  go  out  to  deceive  the  nations  which 

are  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  gather 

them  together  to  battle:  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the 

9  sea.     And  they  went  up  on  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  dnd  compassed 

the  camp  of  the  saints  about,  and  the  beloved  city :  and  fire  came 

10  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and  devoured  them.     And  the  devil 

that  deceived  them  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone, 

where  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  are.  and  shall  be  tormented 

day  and  night  for  ever  and  ever. 

What  was  before  declared,  that,  after  the  expiration  of 
the  thousand  years,  Satan  should  be  set  at  liberty,  for  a 
season,  is  here  more  fully  predicted.  He  is  to  come  uo 
from  his  prison  and  his  chains,  and  go  out  to  deceive  the 
nations ;  in  which  work  it  appears  that  he  will  be  success- 
ful ;  for  it  is  said  that  he  will  "  gather  them  together  to 
battle."  These  deceived  nations  are  called  Gog  and 
Magog.  Anciently,  this  was  a  general  name  applied  to 
the  barbarous  nations  in  the  north  of  Europe  and  Asia. 
But,  from  the  manner  in  which  it  is  used  both  in  Ezekiel 
and  the  passage  before  us,  it  is  obvious  that  it  is  to  be  un- 
derstood symbolically,  just  as  Sodom,  Babylon,  and  Egypt 
are  used  in  this  book — and  is  intended  to  describe  the  last 
enemies  of  the  Christian  church  who  will  arise  subsequent 
to  the  millennium.  The  opinion  that  by  Gog  and  Magog  is 
meant  nations  which  will  continue  idolatrous  during  the 
millennium,  appears  not  to  have  sufficient  foundation  ;  and, 
indeed,  to  be  directly  opposed  to  the  many  predictions  of 
God's  word,  which  describe  this  period  as  one  when  holi- 
ness will  fill  the  earth.  It  is  quite  clear,  from  verse 
eighth,  that  Gog  and  Magog  denote  the  multitudes  that  will 
be  deceived  after  the  liberation  of  Satan.  Their  defeat 
and  destruction  are  next  foretold,  together  with  the  finish- 


CHAPTER   XX.  161 

ing  stroke  to  the  agency  of  Satan  in  the  world.  And  here, 
again,  as  to  the  length  of  the  period  from  his  liberation  to 
his  final  overthrow,  the  Scriptures  give  us  no  information. 

11  And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose 
face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away ;  and  there  was  found  no 

12  place  for  them.  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before 
God;  and  the  books  were  opened:  and  another  book  was  opened, 
which  is  the  book  of  life:  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those 
things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  according  to  their  works. 

13  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it ;  and  death  and  hell 
delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in  them:  and  they  were  judged 

14  every  man  according  to  their  works.     And   death  and  hell  were 

15  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  This  is  the  second  death.  And  whoso- 
ever was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of  life  was  cast  into  the 
lake  of  fire. 

One  of  the  most  sublime  passages  to  be  found  in  any 
writing.  "  It  is  so  plain  that  it  does  not  need — so  majestic 
and  grand  that  it  exceeds,  commentary  and  paraphrase." 
It  foretells  and  describes  the  general  resurrection  and 
judgment  day.  John  had  a  vision  of  a  throne,  and  the 
passing  away  of  heaven  and  earth.  Graves  open  ;  the 
sea  gives  up  its  dead ;  and  all,  both  small  and  great, 
stand  before  God.  The  books  are  opened ;  the  righteous 
rewarded  ;  the  wicked  punished.  On  this  great  and 
awful  day,  Christ  will  appear  visibly  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven.  Behold  He  cometh  in  clouds,  and  every  eye 
shall  see  Him — not  only  those  who  have  waited  for  His 
advent,  but  those  also  who  have  refused  to  heed  the  warn- 
ing of  the  church's  prayer.  Come,  Lord  Jesus. 


14* 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

1  And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth :   for  the  first  heaven  and 

2  the  first  earth  were  passed  away ;  and  there  was  no  more  sea.  And 
I  John  saw  the  holy  city,  new  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God 

8  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband.  And  I 
heard  a  great  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of 
God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his 

4  people,  and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God.  And 
God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes ;  and  there  shall  be  n9 
more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any 

5  more  pain :  for  the  former  things  are  passed  away.  And  he  that  sat 
upon  the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new.     And  he  said 

6  unto  me.  Write :  for  these  words  are  true  and  faithful.  And  he  said 
unto  me,  It  is  done.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the 
end.     I  will  give  unto  him  that  is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water 

7  of  life  freely.     He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things ;  and  I  will 

8  be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son.  But  the  fearful,  and  unbeliev- 
ing, and  the  abominable,  and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and 
sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake 
which  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone :  which  is  the  second  death. 

As  the  things  here  foretold  follow,  in  the  prophecy,  the 
account  of  the  final  judgment,  they  are  therefore  to  be  con- 
sidered as  following  that  event  in  the  order  of  time.  The 
21st  chapter  describes  the  New  Jerusalem,  or  the  state  of 
heavenly  blessedness.  Some  writers  understand  this  and 
the  concluding  chapter  as  describing  the  state  of  the  church 
during  the  millennium  ;  and  there  are  others  who  have  en- 
deavored to  prove  that  it  foretells  a  period  of  righteousness 
to  be  enjoyed  on  earth,  subsequent  to  the  battle  of  Gog  and 
Magog,  when  the  paradisaical  state  will  be  more  fully  re- 
stored than  in  the  millennium,  and  continue  much  longer. 
But  it  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  predictions  contained 
in  this  chapter  describe  events  which  are  to  take  place 


CHAPTER  XXI.  163 

subsequent  to  the  catastrophe  of  all  things,  i.  e.  after  the 
first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  have  passed  away,  and  are 
therefore  to  be  viewed  as  a  description  of  the  endless  hap- 
piness of  the  saints  in  heaven,  after  the  resurrection  and 
the  last  judgment.  It  would  not  comport  with  the  present 
design  to  enter  into  the  speculations  which  have  been  in- 
dulged respecting  the  locality  and  external  state  of  heaven. 
Dr.  Chalmers  has  an  eloquent  sermon  in  support  of  the 
opinion  that  this  earth  will  be  renewed  and  fitted  up  for  the 
everlasting  abode  of  the  righteous.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that, 
wherever  located,  heaven  will  be  a  state  of  perfect  and 
unending  bliss,  the  inheritance  of  the  righteous,  and  of  the 
righteous  alone  ;  for  all  others  shall  have  their  part  in  the 
lake  that  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone. 

9  And  there  came  unto  me  one  of  the  seven  angels,  which  had  the 
seven  vials  full  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  and  talked  with  me,  saying, 

10  Come  hither,  I  will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  And  he 
carried  me  away  in  the  spirit  to  a  great  and  high  mountain,  and 
showed  me  that  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  descending  out  of 

11  heaven  from  God,  Having  the  glory  of  God:  and  her  light  vias  like 
unto  a  stone  most  precious,  even  like  a  jasper-stone,  clear  as  crystal: 

12  And  had  a  wall  great  and  high,  and  had  twelve  gates,  and  at  the 
gates  twelve  angels,  and  names  written  thereon,  which  are  the  names 

13  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel.  On  the  east,  three 
gates ;  on  the  north,  three  gates  ;  on  the  south,  three  gates ;  and  on 

14  the  west  three  gates.    And  the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations, 

15  and  in  them  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb.  And  he 
that  talked  with  me,  had  a  golden  reed  to  measure  the  city,  and  the 

16  gates  thereof,  and  the  wall  thereof.  And  the  city  lieth  four-square, 
and  the  length  is  as  large  as  the  breadth :  and  he  measujed  the  city 
with  the  reed,  twelve  thousand  furlongs.     The  length,  and  the 

17  height  of  it  are  equal.  And  he  measured  the  wall  thereof,  an  hun- 
dred and  forty  and  four  cubits,  according  to  the  measure  of  a  man, 

18  that  is,  of  the  angel.     And  the  building  of  the  wall  of  it  was  of  jas- 

19  per:  and  the  city  icas  pure  gold,  like  unto  glass.  And  the  founda- 
tions of  the  wall  of  the  city  were  garnished  with  all  manner  of  pre- 
cious stones.     The  first  foundation  was  jasper;  the  second,  sapphire ; 

20  the  third,  a  chalcedony;  the  fourth  an  emerald;  the  fifth,  sardonyx; 


164  REVELATION. 

the  sixth,  sardius;   the  seventh,  chrysoUte;  the  eighth,  beryl ;  the 
ninth,  a  topaz ;  the  tenth,  a  chrysoprasus  ;  the  eleventh,  a  jacinth  ; 

21  the  twelfth,  an  amethyst.  And  the  twelve  gates  were  twelve  pearls ; 
every  several  gate  was  one  pearl ;  and  the  street  of  the  city  was  pure 

22  gold,  as  it  were  tranparent  glass.     And  I  saw  no  temple  therein : 

23  for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it.  And 
the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it: 
for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  there- 

24  of.  And  the  nations  of  them  which  are  saved  shall  walk  in  the  Ught 
of  it :  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  do  bring  their  glory  and  honor  into 

25  it.     And  the  gates  of  it  shall  not  be  shut  at  all  by  day:    for  there 

26  shall  be  no  night  there.     And  they  shall  bring  the  glory  and  honor 

27  of  the  nations  into  it.  And  there  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it  any 
thing  that  defileth,  neither  whatsoever  worketh  abomination,  or  male- 
eth  a  lie;  but  they  which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 

In  this  passage,  we  have  a  full  and  beautiful  description 
of  New  Jerusalem,  the  metropolis  of  the  new  heaven  and 
new  earth.  It  would  be  delightful  to  dwell  upon  it,  after 
having  dwelt  so  long  on  the  fiery  trials  of  the  church,  and 
to  show  the  adaptation  of  this  glorious  issue  to  afford  con- 
solation to  the  afflicted  and  persecuted  people  of  God  in  all 
ages.  But  the  plan  which  we  have  pursued,  which  has 
been  simply  to  afford  an  index  to  the  bearing  and  general 
scope  of  the  different  parts  of  this  book,  forbids. 

John  was  carried  away  in  spirit  by  one  of  the  seven 
angels,  to  a  lofty  mountain,  where  this  glorious  vision  was 
granted  to  him.  Observe  that  the  New  Jerusalem  is 
called  the  Lamb's  wife ;  the  church  militant,  calling  on 
her  Lord  to  come,  is  the  bride — the  church  triumphant 
rejoicing  in  her  espousals  with  her  exalted  Head,  the  Lamb 
that  was  slain,  is  called  His  wife. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

1  And  he  showed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  Hfe,  clear  as  crystal,  pro- 

2  ceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.  In  the  midst  of 
the  street  of  it,  and  on  either  side  of  the  river,  was  there  the  tree  of 
life,  which  bare  twelve  manner  o/"  fruits,  anc?  yielded  her  fruit  every 
month :  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree  icere  for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 

3  And  there  shall  be  no  more  curse :  but  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the 

4  Lamb  shall  be  in  it :  and  his  servants  shall  serve  him :  And  they 
shall  see  his  face ;  and  his  name  shall  be  in  their  foreheads.     And 

5  there  shall  be  no  night  there ;  and  they  need  no  candle,  neither 
light  of  the  sun :  for  the  Lord  God  giveth  them  light :  and  they  shall 
reign  for  ever  and  ever. 

A  CONTINUATION  of  the  description  of  the  heavenly  state. 
"  A  river  of  water  of  life,"  "  the  tree  of  life,"  "  no  curse," 
"  no  night ;"  such  are  the  figures  by  which  the  beatitude 
of  heaven  is  expressed,  "  The  Saints'  Everlasting  Rest," 
by  Richard  Baxter,  furnishes  as  good  an  exposition  of  this 
description  of  the  New  Jerusalem  as  can  easily  be  found. 

6  And  he  said  unto  me.  These  sayings  are  faithful  and  true.  And  the 
Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets  sent  his  angel  to  show  unto  his  ser- 

7  vants  the  things  which  must  shortly  be  done.  Behold,  I  come  quick- 
ly :  blessed  is  he  that  keepeth  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this 
book. 

The  day  of  judgment  passed,  and  the  righteous  con- 
firmed in  everlasting  felicity  in  heaven,  the  contents  of  the 
book  with  seven  seals  may  be  regarded  as  now  at  an  end. 
What  follows  may  be  considered  as  of  the  nature  of  an 
epilogue. 

The  prophecy  of  this  book  is  attested,  and  the  assurance 
repeated,  that  the  time  was  at  hand  for  the  series  of  pre- 
dictions it  contains  to  begin  to  be  accomplished. 


166  REVELATION. 

8  And  I  John  saw  these  things,  and  heard  them.  And  when  I  had 
heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  worship  before  the  feet  of  the  angel 

9  which  showed  me  these  things.  Then  saith  he  unto  me,  See  thou 
do  it  not:  for  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the 
prophets,  and  of  them  which  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book :  worship 

10  God.     And  he  saith  unto  me,  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy 

11  of  this  book:  for  the  time  is  at  hand.  He  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be 
unjust  still :  and  he  which  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still :  and  he  that 
is  righteous,  let  him  be  righteous  still :  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him 

12  be  holy  still.     And  behold  I  come  quickly ;  and  my  reward  is  with 

13  me,  to  give  every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be.  I  am  Alpha 
and   Omega,  the   beginning   and  the   end,  the   first  and  the  last. 

14  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandments,  that  they  may  have 
right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the 

15  city.  For  without  are  dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  whoremongers,  and 
murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  whosoever  loveth  and  maketh  a  lie. 

16  I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto  you  these  things  in  the 
churches,     I  am  the  root  and  the  offspring  of  David,  and  the  bright 

17  and  morning-star.  And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come.  And 
let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come,     And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come. 

1 8  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely.  For  I 
testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of 
this  book,  If  any  man  shall  add  unto  these  things,  God  shall  add 

19  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book.  And  if  any 
man  shall  take  away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy, 
God  shall  take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  hfe,  and  out  of  the 

20  holy  city,  and/rom  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book.  He 
which  testifieth  these  things  saith,  Surely  I  come  quickly  :  Amen, 

21  Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus.  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
he  with  you  all.     Amen, 


John  is  restrained  from  paying  religious  homage  to  the 
angel  who  showed  him  these  thino;s.  He  is  commanded 
not  to  seal  up  the  prophecy  of  this  book ;  and  the  reason 
of  the  command  is  given,  "  for  the  time  is  at  hand,"  i.  e. 
the  fulfillment  of  the  series  of  predictions  was  immediately 
to  begin.  Then  follow  promises  of  reward  to  the  righteous 
and  comminations  against  the  wicked.  The  Alpha  and 
the  Omega,  the  divine  Revealer,  is  now  introduced,  speak- 


CHAPTER  XXII.  167 

ing  in  His  own  person,  as  if  to  add  his  imprimatur,  in  con- 
firmation of  the  authority  of  this  book. 

Then  speaks  the  spiritual  bride,  the  ransomed,  but  still 
militant  church,  with  longing  desire  for  the  advent  of  her 
Lord,  COME.  The  attentive  reader  will  soon  perceive 
that  the  language,  "  The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say  come," 
must  be  a  response  to  the  words  of  Him  who  saith,  "  Be- 
hold I  come  quickly."  Many  excellent  commentators 
seem  to  have  overlooked  this.  Henry  speaks  of  v.  17  as 
a  general  invitation  to  all,  to  come  and  partake  of  the 
blessings  of  the  Gospel.  Doddridge  and  Scott  take  the 
same  view  of  it.  That  the  appeal,  in  the  last  two  clauses 
of  the  verse,  is  to  sinners,  "  let  him  that  is  alhirst  come, 
and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely,"  is 
undeniable  ;  an  appeal  evidently  suggested,  by  the  address 
first  made  to  the  Son  of  God,  to  hasten  his  coming,  and 
strongly  enforced  by  that  entreaty  of  the  church.  The 
passage  becomes  highly  impressive  and  animated,  when 
viewed  as  the  answer  which  goes  back  from  the  pious  on 
earth  to  heaven,  at  the  same  time  echoing  a  solemn  warn- 
ing in  the  ears  of  an  ungodly  world.  In  connexion  with 
similar  words,  in  v.  20,  "  Surely  I  come  quickly  :  Amen. 
Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus,"  we  have  a  clue  to  the  real 
intent  of  this  book,  viz.,  the  revelation  of  the  coming  of 
Jesus  Christ,  in  mercy  to  his  people  and  judgment  on  his 
foes. 

Daubuz  says,  of  v.  17,  '•  This  is  the  response  made  to 
the  promise  of  Christ,  'I  come  quickly,'  v.  12."  "The 
Spirit,"  says  Dr:  S.  Clarke,  "  means  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  hearts  of  believers  ;  '  the  bride,'  the  whole  Catholic 
church."  (See  D'Oyly  and  Mant.)  "  The  Holy  Spirit," 
says  the  French  commentary  of  Calmet,  '•  crying  out 
from  the  inmost  heart  of  believers,  (Rom.  viii.  26,)  the 
bride,  the  ohnroh,  say  to  Jesus  Christ,  come  quickly,  for 


168  REVELATION. 

the  deliverance  of  thy  saints ;  come,  avenge  the  wrongs 
done  to  thy  servants.''  "  This  verse  (17)  contains,"  says 
Bloomfield,  "  the  response  made  to  the  promise  of  Christ, 
*  I  come  quickly,'  v.  12 ;  and  the  Holy  Ghost  and  the 
church,  the  spiritual  bride  of  Christ,  are  represented  as 
inviting  all  to  participate  in  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel." 
Prof  Stuart's  comment  is  as  follows  :  "  The  Spirit  which 
animates  and  guides  the  prophets,  and  the  bride,  i.  e.  the 
church,  who  is  anxiously  hoping  for  the  coming  of  Christ, 
unite  in  the  fervent  wish  expressed  by.  Come." 

The  solemn  warning,  vv.  18,  19,  reminds  us  how  re- 
sponsible an  undertaking  it  is  to  interpret  God's  word.  It 
is  not  to  be  supposed  that  an  honestly  mistaken  criticism, 
which  does  not  involve  a  denial  of  the  fundamental  doc- 
trines of  Christianity,  will  expose  a  man's  salvation.  The 
spirit  of  the  excellent  Doddridge  cannot  be  sufficiently 
admired,  nor  too  successfully  imitated.  In  a  note  on  this 
passage,  he  says,  "  I  have  neither  designedly  attempted  to 
establish  anything  which  did  not  appear  to  me  to  be  a 
doctrine  of  Scripture,  nor  drop  anything  which  did  ap^ 
pear  so  ;  and  wherein,  through  human  infirmity,  and  the 
want  of  a  closer  and  more  accurate  attention,  I  have 
failed  either  way,  I  commit  myself  to  the  mercy  of  that 
Redeemer,  whose  word  it  is,  and  whose  interest  I  have 
endeavored  faithfully  to  serve." 

Again,  as  if  to  render  assurance  doubly  sure,  it  is 
declared  that  He  that  testifieth  these  things  will  come 
quickly.  Accordingly,  some  of  the  predictions  of  this  book 
began  almost  immediately  to  be  fulfilled.  The  fulfillment 
of  others  followed  ;  others  are  now  in  a  process  of  accom- 
plishment, and  all  of  them,  in  the  fullness  of  time,  will  be 
completed. 

Even  so,  Come,  Lord  Jesus! 


APPENDIX 


OBSERVATIONS    ON    SOME    OF    THE    PROPHECIES    OF    DANIEL. 

It  will  not  be  deemed  out  of  place,  before  closing  this 
volume,  to  bestow  some  attention  on  those  predictions  of 
the  book  of  Daniel  in  which  there  are  designations  of  time 
similar  to  those  in  the  Apocalypse,  and  which  have  been 
frequently  interpreted  as  referring  to  the  same  events. 

"  Then  I  heard  one  saint  speaking,  and  another  saint 
said  unto  that  certain  saint  which  spake.  How  long  shall 
be  the  vision  concerning  the  daily  sacrifice,  and  the  trans- 
gression of  desolation,  to  give  both  the  sanctuary  and  the 
host  to  be  trodden  under  foot  ?  And  he  said  unto  me, 
Unto  two  thousand  and  three  hundred  days  ;  then  shall  the 
sanctuary  be  cleansed."  Daniel,  viii.  13,  14.  Every 
reader  will  perceive,  that  the  question.  How  long  ?  refers 
to  the  accomplishment  of  the  vision  of  the  ram  and  he- 
goat,  contained  from  the  second  to  the  twelfth  verse  of  this 
chapter.  "  And  I  saw  in  a  vision  ;  (and  it  came  to  pass, 
when  I  saw,  that  I  was  at  Shushan,  in  the  palace,  which 
is  in  the  province  of  Elam ;)  and  I  saw  in  a  vision,  and  I 
was  by  the  river  Ulai.  Then  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes  and 
saw  and  behold,  there  stood  before  the  river  a  ram,  which 
had  two  horns,  and  the  two  horns  loere  high  ;  but  one  was 
higher  than  the  other,  and  the  higher  came  up  last.  I 
saw  the  ram  pushing  westward,  and  northward,  and  south- 
ward ;  so  that  no  beasts  might  stand  before  him,  neither 

15 


170  APPENDIX. 

was  there  any  that  could  deliver  out  of  his  hand  ;  but  he 
did  according  to  his  will  and  became  great.  And  as  I 
was  considering,  behold,  an  he-goat  came  from  the  west, 
on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  and  touched  not  the  ground  : 
and  the  he-goat  had  a  notable  horn  between  his  eyes. 
And  he  came  to  the  ram  that  had  two  horns,  which  I  had 
seen  standing  before  the  river,  and  ran  unto  him  in  the 
fury  of  his  power.  And  I  saw  him  come  close  unto  the 
ram,  and  he  was  moved  with  choler  against  him,  and 
smote  the  ram,  and  brake  his  two  horns ;  and  there  was 
no  power  in  the  ram  to  stand  before  him,  but  he  cast  him 
down  to  the  ground  ;  and  stamped  'upon  him  ;  and  there 
was  none  to  deliver  the  ram  out  of  his  hand.  Therefore 
the  he-goat  waxed  very  great :  and  when  he  was  strong 
the  great  horn  was  broken  ;  and  for  it  came  up  four  nota- 
ble ones,  toward  the  four  winds  of  heaven  ;  and  out  of  one 
of  them  came  forth  a  little  horn  which  waxed  exceeding 
great  toward  the  south,  and  toward  the  east,  and  toward 
the  pleasant  land.  And  it  waxed  great  even  to  the  host  of 
heaven  ;  and  it  cast  down  some  of  the  host  and  of  the 
stars  to  the  ground  and  stamped  upon  them.  Yea,  he 
magnified  himself  even  to  the  prince  of  the  host,  and  by 
him  the  daily  sacrifice  was  taken  away,  and  the  place 
of  his  sanctuary  was  cast  down.  And  an  host  was  given 
him  against  the  daily  sacrifice  by  reason  of  transgression, 
and  it  cast  down  the  truth  to  the  ground,  and  it  practised 
and  prospered." 

It  will  also  be  perceived,  that  from  the  nineteenth  to  the 
twenty-sixth  verse,  the  angel  Gabriel  is  telling  Daniel  the 
meaning  of  the  vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat,  which  he 
had  sought  to  know.  "  And  he  said.  Behold  I  will  make 
thee  know  what  shall  be  in  the  last  end  of  the  indignation  ; 
for  at  the  time  appointed  the  end  shall  he.  The  ram 
which  thou  sawest  having  two  horns  are  kings  of  Media 


APPENDIX.  171 

and  Persia.  And  the  rough  goat  is  the  king  of  Grecia  : 
and  the  great  horn  that  is  between  his  eyes  is  the  first 
king.  Now  that  being  broken,  whereas  four  stood  up  for 
it,  four  kingdoms  shall  stand  up  out  of  the  nation,  but  not 
in  his  power.  And  in  the  latter  time  of  the  kingdom, 
when  the  transgressors  are  come  to  the  full,  a  king  af  fierce 
countenance,  and  understanding  dark  sentences,  shall 
stand  up.  And  his  power  shall  be  mighty,  but  not  by  his 
own  powers,  and  he  shall  destroy  wonderfully,  and  shall 
prosper  and  practise,  and  shall  destroy  the  mighty  and  the 
holy  people.  And  through  his  policy  also  he  shall  cause 
craft  to  prosper  in  his  hand  ;  and  he  shall  magnify  himself 
in  his  heart,  and  by  peace  shall  destroy  many :  he  shall 
also  stand  up  against  the  Prince  of  princes  ;  but  he  shall 
be  broken  without  hand."  We  have  an  angel  for  the  in- 
terpreter of  Daniel's  vision  ;  by  whom  we  are  distinctly 
told  that  the  ram  with  two  horns  which  Daniel  saw  stand- 
ing before  the  river  are  the  kings  of  Media  and  Persia,  to 
whom  the  Hebrews,  after  the  fall  of  the  Assyrian  empire, 
were  in  bondage.  The  Medo-Peisian  empire,  under  Cy- 
rus, became  the  mightiest  power  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

We  are  also  told  that  the  rough  goat,  with  the  great 
horn  between  his  eyes,  was  the  king  of  Greece,  which 
such  writers  as  Josephus,  Prideaux  and  Rollin,  and  the 
whole  mass  of  commentators  understand  as  referring  to 
Alexander  the  Great.  By  the  breaking  of  the  great  horn 
is  meant  the  death  of  Alexander,  who  fell  a  victim  to  in- 
temperance at  an  early  age,  in  the  midst  of  his  conquests ; 
in  consequence  of  which  his  kingdom  was  divided  into 
four  parts,  between  his  four  principal  generals,  Cassander, 
Lysamichus,  Ptolemy,  and  Seleucus,  who  are  represented 
in  the  prophecy,  by  the  four  horns  that  came  up,  when 
the  great  horn  was  broken. 

We  are  now  brought  to  the  principal  part  of  the  vision  ; 


173  APPENDIX. 

viz.  the  coming  forth  of  the  little  horn,  out  of  one  of  the 
four  horns.  It  is  to  the  'continuance  of  this  part  of  the 
vision  that  the  question,  "  How  long  shall  be  the  vision  V 
&c.,  refers.  It  was  made  knov/n  to  Daniel  that  it  was  by 
the  little  horn  that  the  daily  sacrifice  should  be  taken 
away,  and  the  place  of  the  sanctuary  cast  down.  And  it 
was  to  the  duration  of  these  oppressions  and  outrages 
against  the  Jews  that  the  question,  which  Daniel  heard 
one  saint  proposing  to  another,  referred. 

It  remains,  then,  for  us  to  determine  who  was  the  "  little 
horn,"  and  to  show  whether  the  events  here  predicted  took 
place  within  2300  days.  This  can  be  done  only  by 
placing  the  events  predicted  side  by  side  with  those  of  ac- 
credited history,  and  showing  that  the  former  correspond 
or  answer  to  the  latter.  Seleucus  Nicator,  one  of  the 
four  generals,  among  whom  the  empire  of  Alexander  the 
Great  was  divided,  reigned  in  Syria  and  the  East.  Anti- 
ocHUs  Epiphanes  was  one  of  his  successors.  This  most 
cruel  persecutor  of  the  .Tev/s,  I  shall  show,  was  the  "  little 
horn,"  and  also  that  the  duration  of  the  events  here  pre- 
dicted respecting  him,  took  place  in  2300  literal  days. 

Antiochus  Epiphanes  succeeded  his  brother,  Seleucus 
Philopator,  on  the  throne  in  the  year  175,  B.C.  But  a 
short  time  elapsed  before  he  commenced  his  cruel  and 
bloody  persecution  of  the  Jews.  The  prediction  says,  "  It 
(the  "  little  horn")  waxed  great,  even  to  the  host  of 
heaven  ;  and  it  cast  down  some  of  the  host,  and  of  the 
stars  to  the  ground,  and  stamped  upon  them.  Yea,  he 
magnified  himself  even  to  the  prince  of  the  host."  "  He 
shall  also  stand  up  against  the  Prince  of  princes."  This 
language  foretells  his  peculiar  enmity  and  opposition  to  the 
divine  religion  of  the  Jews,  and  against  God  himself. 
<'  The  host,"  and  "  the  stars"  are  symbolical  expressions, 
meaning  spiritual  teachers  or  guides ;  they  refer  there- 


APPENDIX.  173 

fore  to  the  priests ;  and  the  expression  "  the  prince  of  the 
host,"  means  the  chief  priest ;  and  "  the  Prince  of  princes," 
God.  By  consulting  Maccabees  or  Josephus  we  discover 
how  remarkably  this  part  of  the  vision  was  fulfilled. 
Onias  was  high-priest  at  the  time  Antiochus  ascended  the 
throne.  It  was  an  office  of  great  honour  and  emolument. 
Onias  had  a  profligate  brother  named  Jason,  who  offered 
the  king  a  large  sum  of  money  if  he  would  depose  Onias 
from  the  high-priesthood  and  bestow  the  office  on  him.  He 
was  successful.  But  Menalaus,  another  profligate  brother, 
offered  a  larger  sum,  and  Jason  was  almost  immediately 
supplanted.  At  his  suggestion,  the  temple  was  rifled  of 
its  golden  vessels  to  pay  tribute.  The  excellent  Onias, 
the  lawful  high-priest,  sternly  rebuked  the  sacrilege  of 
Menalaus,  in  consequence  of  which,  to  escape  threatened 
vengeance,  he  was  compelled  to  fly  to  a  place  of  conceal- 
ment. From  this  he  was  allured,  and  was  murdered  by 
Andronicus,  under  the  authority  of  Antiochus,  171  B.C. 

Thus  early  had  the  "  little  horn"  waxed  great  even  to 
the  host  of  heaven^  and  magnified  himself  even  to  the  prince 
of  the  host.  We,  then,  date  the  commencement  of  the 
2300  days  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  171,  B.C.  From 
this  period,  until  the  time  of  his  death,  this  bloody  perse- 
cutor, Antiochus,  was  engaged,  at  only  slight  intervals,  in 
massacres  of  the  Jews,  and  the  most  barbarous  assaults 
upon  their  religious  rites.  With  the  exception  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  the  Jews  at  the  siege  and  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem by  the  Romans,  there  is  nothing  in  their  history,  as 
a  nation,  which  can  be  compared  with  what  they  endured 
in  consequence  of  his  aggressions.  In  170,  B.C.,  he 
murdered  the  Jewish  ambassadors  at  Tyre,  and  marched 
an  army  to  Jerusalem,  and  abandoned  the  city  to  the  fury 
of  his  soldiery,  for  three  days,  who  slaughtered  no  less 
than  80,000  Hebrews.  At  the  same  time  he  profaned  the 
15* 


174  APPENDIX. 

temple,  enterins;  the  holy  of  holies  himself,  and  plunder- 
ing it  of  the  sacred  utensils,  all  of  gold.  These  atroci- 
ties were  all  occasioned,  because  during  his  absence, 
Jason  had  succeeded  in  deposing  his  brother  from  the 
high-priesthood,  and  had  made  himself  master  of  the  city. 
In  the  year  168,  B.C.,  two  years  after  the  horrible 
atrocities  just  alluded  to,  he  sent  an  army  of  22,000  men 
against  Jerusalem,  to  destroy  it — to  put  all  the  men  to  the 
sword,  and  seize  all  the  women  for  slaves.  It  was  on  the 
sabbath  day  that  this  dreadful  tragedy  was  enacted.  The 
men  who  were  assembled  in  the  synagogues  were  mas- 
sacred in  cold  blood.  The  city  was  fired  in  several 
places.  Soldiers  were  stationed  in  the  temple  itself,  with 
orders  to  destroy  all  who  came  there  to  worship  ;  so  that 
the  daily  sacrifice  which  had  been  offered  so  many  years, 
without  interruption,  according  to  the  prediction,  ceased. 
Antiochus  next  issued  a  decree,  the  object  of  which  was, 
the  extirpation  of  the  Jewish  religion.  He  commanded 
all  his  subjects,  of  every  nation,  to  renounce  their  reli- 
gious ceremonies,  and  to  worship  the  same  gods  he  did. 
He  suppressed  all  the  usages  of  the  Mosaic  law  ;  laid 
waste  the  temple,  and  burnt  the  sacred  writings  of  the 
Jews ;  and  placed  the  statue  of  Jupiter  Olympius  upon 
the  altar  of  the  temple.  Now  was  fulfilled  the  setting  up 
of  the  abomination  of  desolation  in  the  holy  place,  and  the 
taking  away  of  the  daily  sacrifice.  These  events  took 
place  in  the  year  168,  B.C.,  as  already  mentioned ;  and 
it  was  at  this  point,  as  I  shall  show  in  the  sequel,  that  the 
period  denoted  by  the  "  time,  times,  and  dividing  a  time," 
or  three  years  and  part  of  another,  commenced. 

But  let  us  follow  Antiochus  to  the  end  of  his  sanguinary 
career.  The  manner  of  the  death  of  this  "  king  of  fierce 
countenance,"  as  the  prediction  describes  him,  was  also 
intimated, — "  he  shall  be  broken  without  hand  ;"  that  is, 


APPENDIX.  175 

he  was  not  to  fall  by  the  hand  of  man.  He  had  gone  into 
Persia  for  the  purpose  of  levying  tribute,  and  while  there 
the  tidings  reached  him  of  the  defeat  of  his  forces  by 
Judas  Maccabeus.  Awfully  enraged,  he  immediately 
started  for  Jerusalem,  uttering  the  most  fearful  maledic- 
tions against  the  whole  nation  of  the  Jews.  On  his  jour- 
ney, the  news  of  the  defeat  of  another  of  his  generals  met 
him.  "Immediately  he  commanded  his  charioteer,"  says  the 
historian,  Rollin,  "  to  drive  with  the  utmost  speed,  in  order 
that  he  might  sooner  have  an  opportunity  of  fully  satiating 
his  vengeance  ;  threatening  to  make  Jerusalem  the  bury- 
ing-place  of  the  whole  Jewish  nation.  He  had  scarcely 
uttered  that  blasphemous  expression,  when  he  was  struck 
by  the  hand  of  God."  Notwithstanding  the  excruciating 
torments  that  racked  his  body,  he  bade  his  charioteer 
drive  on,  until  he  fell  from  his  chariot  and  died  a  loath- 
some death,  worms  crawling  from  his  body,  and  the  flesh 
falling  away  from  his  bones  by  piecemeal.  Thus  per- 
ished this  scourge  of  the  Jewish  nation,  164  B.C. 

Now  let  us  look  for  the  end  of  the  period  2300  days. 
It  is  equal  to  six  Jewish  years  (counting  360  days  to  a 
year)  and  140  days.  As  noticed  before,  this  period  com- 
menced in  the  year  171,  B.C.  ;  supposed  August  5th  ; 
counting  on  six  Jewish  years,  and  140  days=2300  days, 
and  it  will  bring  us  to  December  25th,  165  B.C.,  when 
Maccabeus  purified  the  temple,  and  re-established  the  daily 
^sacrifice. 

Daniel  had  the  vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat,  or  the 
four  horns  and  the  little  horn,  during  the  reign  of  Bel- 
shazzar,  553  B.C.  Having  considered  the  meaning  of 
this  vision,  in  the  first  place,  and  pointed  out  the  events  by 
which  it  was  fulfilled,  we  are  the  better  prepared,  I  trust, 
to  bestow  more  attention  on  other  visions  recorded  in  this 
book,  and  to  perceive  that  the  times  specified,  which  by 


176  APPENDIX. 

some  have  been  regarded  as  equivalent  to  certain  periods 
in  the  Apocalypse,  and  as  having  a  similar  application, 
are  likewise  to  be  understood  according  to  their  obvious 
and  literal  import ;  and  that  thus  understood,  they  more 
naturally  agree  with  the  design  of  the  writer  than  to  un- 
derstand them  as  having  a  symbolic  sense. 


THE    FIRST    VISION    OF    NEBUCHADNEZZAR. 
Dan.  n. 

31  Thou,  O  king,  sawest,  and  behold  a  great  image.  This  great  image 
whose  brightness  was  excellent,  stood  before  thee;  and  the  form 

32  thereof  uas  terrible.     This  image's  head  teas  of  fine  gold,  his  breast 

33  and  his  arms  of  silver,  his  belly  and  his  thighs  of  brass.     His  legs 

34  of  iron,  his  feet  part  of  iron  and  part  of  clay.  Thou  sawest  till 
that  a  stone  was  cut  out  without  hands,  which  smote  the  image 
upon  his  feet  that  were  of  iron  and  clay,  and  brake  them  to  pieces. 

35  Then  was  the  iron,  the  clay,  the  brass,  the  sifver,  and  the  gold, 
broken  to  pieces  together,  and  became  like  the  chaff  of  the  summer 
threshing  floors ;  and  the  wind  carried  them  away,  that  no  place 
was  found  for  them :  and  the  stone  that  smote  the  image  became  a 

36  great  mountain,  and  filled  the  whole  earth.     This  is  the  dream ; 

37  and  we  will  tell  the  interpretation  thereof  before  the  king.  Thou, 
O  king,  art  a  king  of  kings  :  for  the  God  of  heaven  hath  given 

38  thee  a  kingdom,  power,  and  strength,  and  glory.  And  wheresoever 
the  children  of  men  dwell,  the  beasts  of  the  field  and  the  fowls  of 
the  heaven  hath  he  given  into  thy  hands,  and  hath  made  thee  ruler 

39  over  them  all.  Thou  art  this  head  of  gold.  And  afler  thee  shall 
arise  another  kingdom  inferior  to  thee,  and  another  third  kingdom^ 

40  of  brass,  which  shall  bear  rule  over  all  the  earth.  And  the  fourth 
kingdom  shall  be  strong  as  iron :  forasmuch  as  iron  breakcth  in 
pieces  and  subdueth  all  things:  and  as  iron  that  breaketh  all  these, 

41  shall  it  break  in  pieces  and  bruise.  And  whereas  thou  sawest  the 
feet  and  toes,  part  of  potters'  clay,  and  part  of  iron,  the  kingdom 
shall  be  divided  ;  but  there  shall  be  in  it  of  the  strength  of  the  iron, 

42  forasmuch  as  thou  sawest  the  iron,  mixed  with  miry  clay.  And  as 
the  toes  of  the  feet  \cere  part  of  iron,  and  part  of  clay,  so  the  king- 

43  dom  shall  be  partly  strong,  and  partly  broken.     And  whereas  thou 


APPENDIX.  177 

sawest  iron  mixed  with  miry  clay,  they  shall  mingle  themselves  .with 
the  seed  of  men :  but  they  shall  not  cleave  one  to  another,  even  as 

44  iron  is  not  mixed  with  clay.  And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall 
the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  de- 
stroyed :  and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it  shall 
break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall  stand 

45  forever.  Forasmuch  as  thou  sawest  that  the  stone  was  cut  out  of 
the  mountain  without  hands,  and  that  it  brake  in  pieces  the  iron, 
the  brass,  the  clay,  tlie  silver,  and  the  gold ;  the  great  God  hath 
made  known  to  the  king  what  shall  come  to  pass  hereafter :  and  the 
dream  is  certain,  and  the  interpretation  thereof  sure. 

As  God  made  known  the  dream  itself,  as  well  as  the 
interpretation  of  it  to  Daniel,  it  may  properly  be  regarded 
as  a  part  of  the  prophecy  revealed  to  him.  The  great 
image,  or  an  immense  human  figure,  is  a  striking  symbol 
of  the  power  of  earthly  kings.  The  different  parts  of  this 
image  were  designed  to  represent  a  succession  of  mighty 
empires;  and  they  in  fact  designate  the  great  outlines  of 
human  history.  This  first  vision,  therefore,  is  the  most 
comprehensive  contained  in  the  book  of  Daniel.  Regard- 
ing the  stone,  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands, 
which  smote  the  image,  and  broke  it  into  pieces,  as  an 
emblem  of  the  kingdom  set  up  by  the  God  of  heaven,  we 
have  five  great  empires,  in  the  order  of  their  succession, 
extending  to  the  Millennium. 

1.  The  Assyrian  or  Babylonian. 

2.  The  Medo- Persian. 

3.  The  Grecian  or  Macedonian. 

4.  The  Roman. 

5.  The  Kingdom  of  Christ. 

The  head  of  the  image  was  of  fine  gold.  Daniel  inter- 
preted this  to  mean  Nebuchadnezzar  and  the  dynasty  to 
which  he  belonged.  The  Babylonian  empire  was  one  of 
the  most  powerful  of  antiquity.  It  was  united  to  the  As- 
syrian empire   by    Esarhaddon,  in  the  year   681,   B.C 


178  APPENDIX. 

Nebuchadnezzar,  to  whom  Daniel  said,  "  Thou  art  this 
head  of  gold,"  was  the  most  powerful  monarch  of  this 
vast  empire  ;  Daniel  styles  him,  "  a  king  of  kings."  The 
immense  wealth  of  Babylon,  from  the  spoils  taken  in  war, 
and  the  tribute  paid  by  conquered  nations,  is  proverbial ; 
and  the  magnificence  and  splendour  of  that  celebrated 
capital,  as  described  by  profane  historians,  are  almos't  in- 
credible. 

But  notwithstanding  the  riches  and  extent  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's empire,  its  end  was  made  known  to  him.  Daniel 
did  not  hesitate  to  interpret  that  part  of  his  dream  which 
related  to  its  overthrow,  "  after  thee  shall  arise  another 
kingdom."  It  was  in  the  second  year  of  his  reign,  604 
B.C.,  that  Nebuchadnezzar  had  his  vision — in  less  than  70 
years  after,  538  B.C.,  in  the  reign  of  Belshazzar,  Babylon 
was  taken  by  Cyrus. 

The  Medo-Persian  Empire. 
Cyrus,  during  the  life  of  his  uncle  Cyaxares,  who  in 
Scripture  is  styled,  Darius  the  Mede,  held  the  empire  con- 
jointly with  him.  Darius  died  in  the  year  536,  B.C.,  and 
Cyrus  was  sole  monarch.  His  kingdom  is  represented  in 
the  image  by  the  breast  and  arms  of  silver,  and  is  said  to 
be  "inferior"  to  that  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  He  did  not 
carry  his  conquests  so  far,  and  his  empire  was  not  so  rich 
and  powerful.     It  lasted  204  years,  and  was  succeeded  by 

The  Grecian  or  Macedonian  Empire. 

This  third  kingdom,  which  was  to  bear  rule  over  all  the 
earth,  was  represented  in  the  image  by  the  belly  and 
thighs  of  brass.  Darius  Codomannus  was  the  last  of  the 
Persian  kings.  Alexander  the  Great  invaded  Persia  in 
334,  B.C.,  and  shortly  afterwards  overthrew  the  empire, 
and  established  another,  known  as  the  Macedonian.     His 


APPENDIX.  179 

dominions  were  so  extensive,  that  he  is  said  to  have  con- 
quered the  whole  world.  At  his  death  they  were  divided 
among  his  four  generals,  who  were  regarded  as  the  suc- 
cessors of  Alexander,  and  the  several  parts  over  which 
they  reigned  as  still  the  Macedonian  empire. 

In  Daniel's  vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  the  first  beast  was  a  symbol  of  the  kings  of 
Media  and  Persia  ;  the  rough  goat  was  the  king  of  Greece, 
Alexander  the  Great ;  the  four  notable  horns,  which 
came  up  when  the  great  hora  was  broken,  were  the  suc- 
cessors of  Alexander.  Aiitiochus  Epiphanes,  the  "  little 
horn,"  ascended  the  throne  of  Syria,  175  B.C.  In  the 
year  168,  B  C,  Macedonia  was  reduced  to  a  Roman  pro- 
vince, and  thus  ended  the  third  or  brazen  kingdom. 

The  Roman  Empire. 
The  legs  of  the  image,  of  iron,  his  feet  part  of  iron  and 
part  of  clay,  represented  the  fourth  kingdom.  The  Jews 
both  before  and  since  the  advent  of  Christ,  understood  the 
Roman  empire  to  be  the  fourth  kingdom  of  Daniel ;  and 
during  the  first  three  hundred  years  of  the  Christian  era, 
this  was  the  universal  opinion  in  the  church.  It  is  com- 
pared to  iron,  because  iron  breaketh  in  pieces  other 
metals,  and  the  Romans  subdued  all  the  former  kingdoms, 
and  established  an  empire  which  embraced  them,  and  was 
stronger  than  any  of  them.  By  the  iron  being  mixed 
with  clay  is  meant,  that  barbarous  nations,  not  inclu- 
ded in  tho  preceding  empires,  were  incorporated  in  the 
Roman.  K.i  length  this  immense  empire  was  divided  into 
ten  parts  or  kingdoms,  represented  by  the  toes  of  the 
image,  and  the  remains  of  which  still  exist. 

THE    KINGDOM    OF    CHRIST. 

The  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands  repre- 
sents this  fifth  and  last  kingdom.     ItVas  to  be  set  up  by 


180  APPENDIX. 

the  God  of  heaven,  and  never  to  be  destroyed.  By  it,  the 
iron,  the  clay,  the  brass,  the  silver,  and  the  gold,  were  to 
be  broken  in  pieces,  and  become  like  the  chaff  of  the 
summer  threshing-floors,  carried  away  by  the  wind.  This 
kingdom  was  not  to  be  established  by  victorious  armies,  or 
human  power,  but  by  an  invisible  agency,  as  a  stone  cut 
out  without  hands  ;  and  in  this  it  would  be  distinguished 
from  all  preceding  kingdoms,  and  be  known  as  the  king- 
dom of  the  great  God  of  heaven.  At  length  as  the  stone 
consumes  all  other  kingdoms,  it  becomes  a  great  mountain 
and  fills  the  earth. 

"  In  the  days  of  these  kings,"  that  is,  in  the  days  of 
the  emperors  of  Rome,  this  kingdom  was  to  be  set  up. 
Christ  was  born  while  the  Roman  empire  was  in  its 
strength.  The  stone  has  smitten  the  image  upon  its  feet, 
the  old  Roman  empire  has  been  broken  in  pieces  ;  and  it 
will  continue  to  smite  until  all  its  remains  are  consumed, 
and  that  great  ecclesiastical  usurpation,  represented  in  the 
Apocalypse  by  the  woman  whom  the  beast  carried,  which 
has  perpetuated  the  old  empire,  or  the  fourth  kingdom,  in 
some  degree  of  unity  and  strength,  is  overthrown.  Then 
will  the  stone  become  a  great  mountain  and  fill  the  earth ; 
then  will  the  kingdom,  and  the  greatness  of  the  kingdom, 
under  the  whole  heaven,  be  given  to  the  people  of  the 
saints  of  the  Most  High.  The  mountain  which  is  to  fill 
the  earth  is  a  figure  of  the  church,  or  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  during  the  Millennium.  In  this  prophecy,  there- 
fore, we  have  foretold  the  overthrow  of  every  persecuting 
power,  every  thing  that  exalteth  itself  against  God,  and 
the  coming  in  of  that  glorious  era  foretold  by  John  in  the 
twentieth  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse. 


APPENDIX.  181 

Nebuchadnezzar's  second  dream. 
Dan.  IV. 

10  Thus  icere  the  visions  of  my  head  in  my  bed ;  I  saw,  and  behold  a 
tree  in  the  midst  of  the  earth,  and  the  height  thereof  was  great. 

11  The  tree  grew,  and  was  strong,  and  the  height  thereof  reached  unto 

12  heaven,  and  the  sight  thereof  to  the  end  of  all  the  earth  :  The  leaves 
thereof  were  fair,  and  the  fruit  thereof  much,  and  in  it  was  meat  for 
all :  the  beasts  of  the  field  had  shadow  under  it,  and  the  fowls  of 
the  heaven  dwelt  in  the  boughs  thereof,  and  all  flesh  was  fed  of  it. 

13  I  saw  in  the  visions  of  my  head  upon  my  bed,  and  behold,  a  watcher 

14  and  a  holy  one  came  down  from  heaven  ;  He  cried  aloud,  and  said 
thus,  Hew  down  the  tree,  and  cut  off  his  branches,  shake  off  his 
leaves,  and  scatter  his  fruit;  let  the  beasts  get  away  from  under  it, 

15  and  the  fowls  from  his  branches.  Nevertheless,  leave  the  stump  of 
his  roots  in  the  earth,  even  with  a  band  of  iron  and  brass,  in  the 
tender  grass  of  the  field ;  and  let  it  be  wet  with  the  dew  of  heaven, 

16  and  let  his  portion  be  with  the  beasts  in  the  grass  of  the  earth.  Let 
his  heart  be  changed  from  man's,  and  let  a  beast's  heart  be  given 

17  unto  him ;  and  let  seven  times  pass  over  him.  This  matter  is  by 
the  decree  of  the  watchers,  and  the  demand  by  the  word  of  the  holy- 
ones  ;  to  the  intent  that  the  living  may  know  that  tke  Most  High 
ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he  will, 
^nd  setteth  up  over  it  the  basest  of  men. 

This,  as  interpreted  by  Daniel,  related  wholly  to  Ne- 
buchadnezzar, and  does  not  in  this  work  require  any 
special  notice. 


THE    FIRST    VISION    OF    DANIEL. 
Dan.  VII. 

2  Daniel  spake  and  said,  I  saw  in  my  vision  by  night,  and  behold,  the 

3  four  winds  of  the  heaven  strove  upon  the  great  sea.     And  four  great 

4  beasts  came  up  from  the  sea,  diverse  one  from  another.  The  first 
was  Hke  a  lion,  and  had  eagle's  wings;  I  beheld  till  the  wings 
thereof  were  plucked,  and  it  was  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  and  made 
stand  upon  the  feet  as  a  man,  and  a  man's   heart  was  given  to  it. 

5  And  behold  another  beast,  a  second,  like  to  a  bear,  and  it  raised  up 
itself  on  one  side,  and  it  had  three  ribs  in  the  mouth  of  it  between 

16 


182  APPENDIX. 

•    the  teeth  of  it :  and  they  said  thus  unto  it,  Arise,  devour  much  flesh. 

6  After  this,  I  beheld,  and  lo,  another,  Uke  a  leopard,  which  had 
upon  the  back  of  it  four  wings  of  a  fowl ;  the  beast  had  also  four 

7  heads;  and  dominion  was  given  to  it.  After  this  I  saw  in  the  night 
visions,  and  behold  a  fourth  beast,  dreadful  and  terrible,  and  strong 
exceedingly ;  and  it  had  great  iron  teeth  :  it  devoured  and  brake  in 
pieces,  and  stamped  the  residue  with  the  feet  of  it :  and  it  teas  di- 
verse from  all  the  beasts  that  were  before  it ;  and  it  had  ten  horns. 

8  I  considered  the  horns,  and  behold,  there  came  up  among  them  an- 
other little  horn,  before  whom  there  were  three  of  the  first  horns 
plucked  up  by  the  roots :  and  behold,  in  this  horn  were  eyes  like 

9  the  eyes  of  man,  and  a  mouth  speaking  great  things.  I  beheld 
till  the  thrones  were  cast  down,  and  the  Ancient  of  days  did  sit, 
whose  garment  was  white  as  snow,  and  the  hair  of  his  head  like  the 
pure  wool :  his  throne  was  like   the  fiery  flame,  and  his  wheels  as 

10  burning  fire.  A  fiery  stream  issued  and  came  forth  from  before 
him  :  thousand  thousands  ministered  unto  him,  and  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand  stood  before  him:  the  judgment  was  set,  and  the 

11  books  were  opened.  I  beheld  then  because  of  the  voice  of  the  great 
words  which  the  horn  spake :  I  beheld  even  till  the  beast  was  slain, 

12  and  his  body  destroyed,  and  given  to  the  burning  flame.  As  con- 
cerning the  rest  of  the  beasts,  they  had  their  dominion  taken  away ; 

13  yet  their  lives  were  prolonged  for  a  season  and  time.  I  saw  in  the 
night  visions,  and  behold,  one  like  the  Son  of  man  came  with  the 
clouds   of  heaven,  and  came  to  the  Ancient  of  days,   and  they 

14  brought  him  near  before  him.  And  there  was  given  him  dominion, 
and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all  people,  nations,  and  languages, 
should  serve  him;  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting  dominion,  which 
shall  not  pass  away,  and  his  kingdom,  that  which  shall  not  be  de- 
stroyed. 

17  These  great  beasts,  which  are  four,  are   four  kings,  which  shall 

18  arise  out  of  the  earth.  But  the  saints  of  the  Most  High  shall 
take  the  kingdom,  and  possess  the  kingdom  for  ever,  even  for  ever 

19  and  ever.  Then  I  would  know  the  truth  of  the  fourth  beast,  which 
was  diverse  from  all  the  others,  exceeding  dreadful,  whose  teeth 
were  of  iron,  and  his  nails  o/ brass ;  which  devoured,  brake  in  pieces, 

20  and  stamped  the  residue  with  his  feet ;  And  of  the  ten  horns  that 
were  in  his  head,  and  o/'the  other  which  came  up,  and  before  whom 
three  fell ;  even  «3/'that  horn  that  had  eyes,  and  a  mouth  that  spake 

21  very  great  things,  whose  look  was  more  stout  than  his  fellows.  I 
beheld,  and  the  same  horn  made  war  with  the  saints,  and  prevaded 


APPENDIX.  183 

22  against  them ;  Until  the  Ancient  of  days  came,  and  judgment  was 
given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most  High ;  and  the  time  came  that  the 

23  saints  possessed  the  kingdom.  Thus  he  said,  The  fourth  beast  shall 
be  the  fourth  kingdom  upon  earth,  which  shall  be  diverse  from  all 
kingdoms,  and  shall  devour  the  whole  earth,  and  shall  tread  it  down, 

24  and  break  it  in  pieces.  And  the  ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom  are 
ten  kings  that  shall  arise:  and  another  shall  rise  after  them ;  and  he 

25  shall  be  diverse  from  the  first,  and  he  shall  subdue  three  kings.  And 
he  shall  speak  great  words  against  the  Most  High,  and  shall  wear 
out  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  think  to  change  times  and 
laws :  and  they  shall  be  given  into  his  hand  until  a  time  and  times 
and  the  dividing  of  time. 

This  vision,  we  are  told,  was  in  the  first  year  of  Bel- 
shazzar ;  that  is,  about  fifty  years  after  the  vision  (of  the 
great  image)  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  It  has  been  frequently 
explained  as  revealing  the  same  great  empires  which  had 
been  foretold  by  Daniel  in  his  interpretation  of  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's dream.  The  first  beast,  a  lion  with  an  eagle's 
wings,  has  been  understood  to  denote  the  kingdom  of  Baby- 
lon ',  the  second,  a  bear  with  three  ribs  in  its  mouth,  the 
kingdom  of  the  Medes  and  -  Persians ;  the  third,  a  leopard 
with  four  wings,  the  kingdom  of  Alexander  the  Great ;  the 
fourth,  a  beast  strong  and  terrible  with  iron  teeth,  the  em- 
pire of  the  Romans.  But  it  will  be  perceived  that  in  re- 
gard to  the  great  image  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  inspiration 
does  not  leave  us  to  doubt  what  kingdoms  were  meant  by 
the  different  parts  thereof  The  first,  is  distinctly  de- 
clared to  be  the  Babylonian,  and  the  other  three  are  so 
fully  described,  and  as  arising  in  regular  succession,  that 
it  is  impossible  to  mistake  what  kingdoms  are  meant. 
But  in  regard  to  this  vision  of  Daniel,  we  have  no  such 
explicit  mention  of  the  nations  to  which  the  four  beasts 
applied  ;  and  it  certainly  appears  somewhat  gratuitous  to 
suppose  that  they  were  intended  to  designate  the  same 
nations.     The  truth  is,  that  the  interpretation  of  Nebu- 


184  APPENDIX. 

chadnezzar's  dream  has  been  taken  as  a  key  to  Daniel's 
first  vision.  But  where  is  the  warrant  for  this  ?  Is  it 
that  Daniel's  vision  is  not  accompanied  by  any  interpre- 
tation ?  This  is  not  true ;  it  has  its  own  explanation 
given  by  a  heavenly  being  who  stood  near,  and  to  whom 
Daniel  in  his  perplexity  applied.  And  here  it  is  worthy 
of  notice,  that  this  wise  man,  to  whom  the  rise  of  the  great 
empires,  as  made  known  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream,  was 
perfectly  familiar,  never  thought  of  any  correspondence 
between  that  dream  and  his  own  vision,  or  that  what  was 
revealed  in  the  latter  was  only  a  repetition  of  what  had 
been  revealed  in  the  former.  He  says,  "  I  Daniel  was 
grieved  in  my  spirit  in  the  midst  of  my  body,  and  the 
visions  of  my  head  troubled  me."  That  the  prophet,  who 
was  so  skilled  in  understanding  mysteries,  did  not  regard 
the  interpretation  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  as  the  key 
to  his  own  vision,  and  especially  as  his  vision  has  its  own 
explanation,  in  which  there  is  no  mention  of  the  four  great 
monarchies  in  question,  goes  far  to  satisfy  me  that  the 
rise  of  these  monarchies  was  not  meant  to  be  re-foretold, 
by  the  four  great  beasts. 

The  principal  part  of  the  interpretation  of  Daniel's 
vision  relates  to  the  "  fourth  beast,  dreadful  and  terrible." 
All  the  explanation  at  first  given  by  the  angel  was  the 
following  ;  "  These  great  beasts,  which  are  four,  are  four 
kings,  which  shall  arise  out  of  the  earth.  But  the  saints 
of  the  Most  High  shall  take  the  kingdom  and  possess  the 
kingdom  for  ever,  even  for  ever  and  ever."  This  is  all 
that  is  said  to  show  what  is  meaftt  by  the  first  three  beasts, 
the  lion,  the  leopard,  and  the  bear ;  they  were  kings  that 
were  to  arise  in  the  earth.  It  is  unaccountable  to  me  that 
Bishop  Newton,  speaking  of  what  is  to  be  understood  by 
the  first  beast's  standing  upon  the  feet  as  a  man,  and  a 
man's  heart  being  given  to  it,  should  suggest  that  it  may 


APPENDIX.  185 

be  "  an  allusion  to  the  case  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  when  in 
his  madness,"  inasmuch  as  this  monarch  was  already- 
dead.  In  the  great  image,  moreover,  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
he  was  told  that  he  was  the  head  of  gold,  and  that  after 
him*  should  arise  another  kingdom,  on  which  the  same 
learned  writer,  just  referred  to,  remarks  that  the  reason  of 
Daniel's  speaking  of  him  as  the  only  king  might  have 
been,  because  his  kingdom  ended  so  soon  after  his  death, 
and  his  successors  also  were  to  be  considered  as  nothing, 
as  we  do  not  read  of  any  thing  good  or  great  performed  by 
them.  As  Nebuchadnezzar  was  dead,  how  could  any  of 
the  events  in  his  history  have  been  prefigured  by  what  is 
said  in  Daniel's  vision  of  the  lion  with  two  wings  ?  And 
if  his  kingdom  virtually  came  to  an  end,  at  the  close  of 
his  reign,  what  propriety  is  there  in  supposing  that  it  is 
again  symbolized  in  the  first  beast  of  Daniel's  vision. 

It  was  the  fourth  beast,  without  a  name,  but  described 
as  dreadful,  terrible  and  strong,  with  great  iron  teeth, 
which  occasioned  the  prophet  the  greatest  perplexity ;  and 
accordingly  the  interpretation  of  his  vision  related  princi- 
pally to  what  was  denoted  by  this  terrible  monster.  In 
regard  to  the  kings  or  kingdoms  of  which  the  first  three 
beasts  were  tiie  symbols,  I  would  offer  the  following  sug- 
gestions as  encumbered  with  fewer  difficulties  than  any 
with  which  I  have  met  in  any  writer  on  the  prophecies. 

The  prophet  says  that  he  saw  in  his  ''  vision  by  night, 
and  behold  the  four  winds  of  heaven  strove  upon  the  great 
sea."  This  represents  fierce  contests  among  the  nations 
of  the  earth.  The  ocean  in  a  storm  is  a  striking  emblem 
of  the  commotions  produced  by  the  struggles  of  warriors, 
or  warlike  nations,  for  dominion.  The  striving  of  the  four 
winds  denotes  the  wide  or  universal  extent  of  these  commo- 
tions. We  are  then  to  look  for  such  a  period  in  the  world, 
when  wars  were  universal,  or  nearly  so  ;  and  out  of  which 
16* 


186  APPENDIX. 

state  of  things  four  conquerors  divided  the  donninion  of  it 
among  themselves — of  which  conquerors  or  kings  Daniel's 
four  beasts  were  intended  to  be  the  symbolical  repre- 
sentatives. 

Alexander  is  said  to  have  conquered  the  world  ;  that  is, 
his  conquests  extended  over  the  principal  portions  of  Eu- 
rope, Asia,  and  Africa,  the  three  known  divisions  of  the 
world.  When  he  destroyed  the  Persian  empire,  and  en- 
tered triumphantly  the  "  golden  city,"  he  was  virtually 
the  monarch  of  the  world.  But  his  death  was  the  signal 
for  wide-spread  commotions — as  extensive  as  the  limits  of 
his  vast  empire ;  fulfilling  his  own  prediction  that  his 
friends  would  celebrate  his  funeral  with  bloody  battles. 
The  voice  of  prophecy  had  declared  that  his  kingdom 
should  be  rent  asunder  after  his  death,  and  not  descend  to 
any  of  his  posterity.  With  the  mere  shadow  of  royalty 
left,  the  empire  was  divided  into  thirty-three  governments, 
and  distributed  among  as  many  of  the  principal  officers. 
But  "  this  partition,"  as  has  been  well  observed,  "  was  only 
the  work  of  man,  and  its  duration  was  but  short.  That 
Being  who  reigns  alone,  and  is  the  only  King  of  ages,  had 
decreed  a  different  distribution.  He  had  assigned  to  each 
his  portion,  and  marked  out  its  boundaries  and  extent,  and 
this  disposition  alone  was  to  subsist."  The  partition  fore- 
ordained of  Heaven  was  that  prefigured  by  the  four  horns 
which  came  up  when  the  great  horn  of  the  rough-goat 
was  broken,  and  more  fully  predicted  in  this  vision  of  the 
four  beasts.  The  empire  of  Alexander  being  cut  up  as 
already  mentioned,  a  series  of  bloody,  desolating  wars 
commenced,  and  a  period  of  confusion,  anarchy,  and 
crime,  said  to  be  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  This  state  of  things  continued  for  more  than 
twenty  years.  It  was  then  that  the  four  winds  strove  upon 
the  great  sea.     At  length,  after  the   battle  of  Ipsus,  301 


APPENDIX.  187 

B.C.,  the  empire  was  divided  into  four  kingdoms,  and 
"  four  kings"  arose  "  out  of  tiie  earth."  Cassander  had 
Macedonia  and  Greece  ;  Lysimachus,  Thrace  and  Bithy- 
nia;  Ptolemy  had  Egypt,  and  Seleucus,  Syria  and  the 
East. 

That  these  conquerors  were  represented  to  the  prophet 
under  the  form  of  fierce  beasts  of  prey,  may  be  accounted 
for  on  the  ground  of  the  destructive  wars  which  they 
waged,  and  because  they  were  the  supporters  of  tyranny 
and  false  religion  in  the  world.  They  were  sanguinary, 
barbarous  princes,  inhuman  and  cruel  to  their  enemies, 
and  even  their  own  subjects.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  dis- 
cover fanciful  resemblances  between  these  wild  beasts,  and 
particular  rulers  and  their  empires,  and  such  comparisons 
have  sometimes  been  pursued  to  an  almost  ridiculous  ex- 
tent. In  regard  to  the  first  three  beasts,  tliey  occupy  so 
small  a  space  in  the  interpretation,  that,  perhaps,  it  is  the 
safer  course  simply  to  regard  them  as  symbolical,  accord- 
ing to  what  is  intimated  above,  of  the  cruelty  and  tyranny 
of  the  kings  whom  they  represented.  If  anything  beyond 
this  is  to  be  looked  for,  it  must  be  some  general  point  of 
likeness,  rather  than  a  minute  resemblance.  Understand- 
ing, therefore,  Daniel's  vision  of  the  four  beasts  as  a  pre- 
diction of  the  divided  empire  of  Alexander — the  first  one, 
the  lion  with  eagle's  wings,  may  properly  be  considered 
as  representing  the  kingdom  of  Cassander,  which  was 
composed  of  Macedonia  and  Greece.  This,  by  way  of 
eminence,  was  the  country  of  the  great  conqueror,  his  na- 
tive land,  from  which  he  went  forth  on  his  victorious  ca- 
reer. It  was  a  land  of  heroes,  and  a  land  in  which  flour- 
ished philosophy  and  the  arts  ;  and  it  was,  in  a  peculiar 
sense,  the  empire  of  Alexander,  and  its  king,  his  successor. 
A  lion  with  the  wings  of  an  eagle,  was  the  appropriate 
emblem  of  this  noblest  of  all  ancient  lands,  the  birth-place 


188  APPENDIX. 

of  world-renowned  philosophers,  poets,  and  warriors.  But 
its  glory  had  begun  to  pass  away,  and  its  classic  age  had 
nearly  expired  before  Cassander  ascended  the  throne. 
The  prophet  beheld  till  the  wings  of  this  beast  had  been 
plucked.  Cassander  reigned  but  six  or  seven  years,  and 
soon  after  his  death,  a  fierce  controversy  arose  between 
two  of  his  sons  for  the  crown.  Lysimachus,  king  of 
Thrace,  had  seized  all  the  territory  pertaining  to  this 
kingdom  in  Asia ;  Ptolemy  had  conquered  Cyprus  ;  and 
Seleucus,  Cilicia.  These  three  kings,  who  had  shared 
with  Cassander  in  the  partition  which  was  made  of  Alex- 
ander's empire,  at  length  formed  an  alliance,  in  which 
they  engaged  Pyrrhus,  the  famous  king  of  Epirus,  who 
invaded  Macedonia  on  one  side,  while  Lysimachus  did 
the  same  on  the  other.  The  country  was  subdued,  and 
the  cities  and  provinces  shared  between  them.  Neither 
seas  nor  mountains,  nor  uninhabitable  deserts,  could  suf- 
fice as  barriers  to  the  avarice  and  ambition  of  these 
princes.  Never  were  more  treaties  made  than  by  Alex- 
ander's successors,  and  never  were  they  violated  with  less 
conscience  and  more  impunity.  They  plucked  the  wings 
of  the  first  beast,  and  the  people  that  were  once  lion- 
heartod,  and  spread  their  conquests  over  the  entire  known 
world,  became  humbled  by  their  fortunes,  and  tamely  sub- 
mitted to  the  yoke  of  foreign  despots.  It  should  be  added 
that  Greece  once  more  became  a  republic,  and  both  it  and 
Macedonia  were  absorbed  in  the  Roman  empire  long  be- 
fore the  other  kingdoms  had  been  subdued  by  that  mighty 
power. 

The  second  beast  was  like  a  bear,  and  it  raised  up  it- 
self on  one  side,  and  it  had  three  ribs  in  the  mouth  of  it. 
This  may  be  understood  as  a  symbol  of  the  kingdom  of 
Lysimachus,  which  comprised  Thrace,  Bithynia,  and  at 


APPENDIX.  189 

length,   a  part  of  Macedonia.     He  was  slain   in  a  war 
against  Seleucus,  after  having  himself  shed  much  blood. 

The  third  beast  was  like  a  leopard,  which  had  upon  the 
back  of  it,  four  wings  of  a  fowl.  It  represents  the  king- 
dom of  the  Ptolemies.  The  symbol,  it  will  be  readily 
perceived,  is  peculiarly  appropriate  to  Egypt;  as  in  the 
hieroglyphics,  and  architectural  devices  of  that  country, 
animals,  and  even  inanimate  objects,  with  the  appendage 
of  wings,  are  exceedingly  common.  The  beast  had  four 
heads,  which  may  be  understood  as  referring  to  the  first 
four  Ptolemies,  who  alone  of  that  dynasty  ruled  over 
Judea,  and  who  were  all  men  of  great  abilities,  the  most 
able  monarchs  of  their  time,  distinguished  alike  for  their 
valor  in  the  field,  and  as  patrons  of  the  arts  and  sciences. 
The  last,  Ptolemy  Philopater,  persecuted  the  Jews,  who 
had  been  in  subjection  to  the  Egyptians  from  the  time  of 
the  divison  of  Alexander's  empire,  to  which  there  may  be 
an  allusion  in  the  expression,  that  dominion  was  given  to 
the  beast.  The  other  sovereigns  of  this  dynasty  were  as 
distinguished  for  their  crimes,  as  its  founder  had  been  for 
prudence,  justice,  and  clemency. 

We  come  now  to  the  fourth  beast,  without  a  name,  "  di- 
verse from  all  the  beasts  that  were  before  it" — a  power  so 
terrible,  which  was  to  inflict  such  calamities  on  God's 
chosen  people,  that  no  beast  of  prey  was  deemed  a  suita- 
ble emblem  of  it.  It  was  the  import  of  this  part  of  the 
vision  that  Daniel  was  most  solicitous  to  ascertain.  And 
the  prominence  given  to  it  in  the  interpretation  would 
seem  to  indicate  that  the  former  part  of  the  vision  was 
chiefly  designed  to  be  introductory  to  this,  the  main  part 
of  it,  and  to  assist  in  its  explanation,  and  not  to  reforetell 
the  great  empires  prefigured  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream. 

This  fourth  beast  must  be  understood  of  the  dynasty  of 
the  Seleucida3,  founded  by  Seleucus  Nicator,  one  of  the 


190  APPENDIX. 

four  generals  of  Alexander,  who  shared  in  the  last  divis- 
ion of  his  dominions.  "  This  family,"  observes  the  Com- 
mentator Henry,  "  v/as  very  cruel  and  oppressive  to  the 
people  of  the  Jews.  And  herein  that  empire  was  diverse 
from  those  that  went  before,  none  of  whom  compelled  the 
Jews  to  renounce  their  religion,  but  the  kings  of  Syria 
did,  and  used  them  barbarously.  Their  armies  and  com- 
manders were  the  great  iron  teeth  with  which  they  de- 
voured and  brake  in  pieces  the  people  of  God,  and  they 
trampled  on  the  residue  of  them.  The  ten  horns  are  then 
supposed  to  be  ten  kings  that  reigned  successively  in  Sy- 
ria ;  and  then  the  little  horn  is  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  the 
last  of  the  ten,  who  by  one  means  or  other,  undermined 
three  of  the  kings,  and  got  the  government.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  ingenuity,  and  is  therefore  said  to  have  eyes 
like  the  eyes  of  a  man ;  and  was  very  bold  and  daring, 
had  a  mouth  speaking  great  things."  Henry  suggests 
this  as  one  of  the  interpretations  of  the  fourth  beast, 
which  had  been  advanced  among  the  learned. 

As  to  the  ten  horns,  they  denote  the  kings  of  Syria  in 
their  succession,  during  the  subjection  of  the  Jews  to 
them.  That  three  of  the  horns  should  be  plucked  up  by 
the  little  horn  is  explained  by  the  angel  to  mean,  that  a  king 
should  arise  under  this  dynasty,  who  was  to  subdue  three 
kings.  History  is  not  wanting  in  material  to  illustrate  the 
fulfillment  of  this  part  of  the  prediction.  Antiochus 
Epiphanes  (the  little  horn)  had  been  sent  by  his  father, 
Antiochus  the  Great,  as  a  hostage  to  Rome,  where  he  re- 
sided thirteen  years.  Seleucus  Philopater,  who  succeeded 
Antiochus  the  Great,  as  he  wanted  the  services  of  his 
brother,  probably  in  some  military  expedition,  sent  Deme- 
trius his  only  son,  who  was  but  twelve  years  old,  to'  Rome 
as  a  hostage,  in  exchange  for  his  brother.  But  before  An- 
tiochus arrived,  Seleucus  was  poisoned  by  his  treasurer, 


APPENDIX.  191 

Heliodorus,  who  supposed  that  he  could  easily  seize  on 
the  crown.  The  usurper  had  a  strong  party,  and  another 
was  formed  in  favor  of  Ptolemy  Philometor,  whose  mo- 
ther was  sister  of  the  late  king.  But  Antiochus  succeeded 
in  expelling  Heliodorus,  and  seating  himself  on  the  throne. 
Thus  he  acceded  to  the  government,  after  three  kings  had 
been  supplanted,  Seleucus,  Demetrius,  the  rightful  heir, 
and  Ptolemy. 

In  Daniel's  vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat,  already  no- 
ticed, the  little  horn  was  shown  to  be  a  symbol  of  Anti- 
ochus Epiphanes.  The  facts  there  stated  equally  serve 
to  illustrate  what  is  foretold  here  of  the  atrocities  of  this 
cruel  persecutor — "  he  shall  speak  great  words  against 
the  Most  High,  and  shall  wear  out  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High,  and  think  to  change  times  and  laws."  It  is  unne- 
cessary to  dwell  upon  the  well-known  history  of  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  Jews  under  this  persecutor,  and  of  his  at- 
tempts to  suppress  their  religion.  It  will  be  sufficient 
to  say,  that  with  the  exception  of  the  sufferings  of  the 
Jews  at  the  siege  and  capture  of  Jerusalem,  they  never 
endured  anything  at  all  to  be  compared  with  the 
cruelties  inflicted  on  them  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes.  It 
was  predicted  that  they  should  "  be  given  into  his 
hand,  until  a  time,  and  times,  and  a  dividing  of  time." 
The  same  period  is  given  in  Dan.  xii.  7,  there  expressed, 
"time,  times,  and  an  half;"  or  more  accurately,  as  in 
the  margin,  "  part  of  a  time."  A  time  is  understood 
to  mean  one  year — times  two  years  ;  and  the  dividing,  or 
part  of  a  time,  some  portion  of  another  year.  This  period 
has  been  commonly  supposed  to  be  equivalent  to  three 
years  and  a  half,  and  the  same  as  the  42  months  and  the 
1260  days,  in  Revelation.  But,  if  I  mistake  not,  a  little 
attention  will  serve  to  satisfy  any  unbiassed  mind,  that 
there  is  no  such  period  in  Daniel  as  1260  days.     In  Dan. 


193  APPENDIX. 

xii.  11,  we  have  1290  days,  and  this  unquestionably  is 
the  period  designated  in  Dan.  viii.  25,  by  "a  time,  times, 
and  the  dividing  of  time,"  and  in  Dan.  xii.  7,  by  "time, 
times  and  a  part."  This  was  the  period  during  which  Anti- 
ochus  was  to  wear  out  the  chosen  people  of  God,  and  think 
to  change  times  and  laws,  or  the  customs  appointed  by 
Moses.  It  was  in  the  month  of  May,  168  B.C.,  that  he 
sent  an  army  of  22,000  to  subdue  and  plunder  Jerusalem. 
The  city  was  fired  in  several  places,  and  soldiers  were 
stationed  in  the  temple  to  slay  all  who  came  there  to  wor- 
ship ;  so  that  the  daily  sacrifice  was  discontinued  agree- 
able  to  prediction.  The  temple  was  purified  and  the  daily 
sacrifice  reinstated  by  Judas  Maccabeus,  Dec.  25th,  165 
B.C. ;  so  that  if  we  take  the  25th  of  that  month,  in  which 
the  daily  sacrifice  ceased,  and  the  Mosaic  ritual  was  abol- 
ished, from  which  to  reckon,  we  have  the  period,  "  a  time, 
and  times,  and  the  dividing  of  time,"  or  1290  days,  du- 
ring which  the  power  of  the  "  little  horn"  was  to  continue. 
The  Jews,  it  should  be  remembered,  allowed  thirty  days 
to  a  month,  or  360  days  to  the  year. 

The  second  vision  of  Daniel,  or  that  which  he  had  in 
the  third  year  of  Belshazzar  was  first  examined,  and  re- 
quires no  further  notice  in  this  place. 


THE    SEVENTY   WEEKS. 


Dan.  IX. 

34  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  thy  holy 
city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to  make  an  end  of  sins,  and 
to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  everlasting  right- 
eousness, and  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint 
the  Most  Holy. 

Sacred  expositors  are,  in  the  main,  agreed  as  to  the 


APPENDIX.  193 

meaning  or  accomplishment  of  this  prediction.  The 
children  of  Israel  were  in  captivity  in  Babylon ;  and  the 
seventy  years  of  their  bondage,  as  predicted  by  Jeremiah, 
were  drawing  to  a  close.  Daniel  had  been  consulting  that 
prediction,  and  convinced  that  the  time  for  its  fulfillment 
was  near  at  hand,  he  set  his  "  face  unto  the  Lord  God,  to 
seek  by  prayer  and  supplications."  And  while  he  was 
praying,  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  to  foretell  a  more  glo- 
rious event  than  deliverance  from  the  Babylonish  captivity, 
the  coming  of  Messiah. 

The  seventy  weeks,  i.  e.  seventy  times  seven  =  490, 
denote  the  number  of  years  when  the  events  predicted 
would  take  place.  Daniel  had  been  meditating  on  the 
seventy  years  of  exile  in  Babylon,  and  hence  it  is  natural 
to  suppose  that  it  was  to  years  the  angel  referred  by  the 
number,  70  sevens.  In  the  twenty-fifth  verse,  the  angel 
indicated  the  event  at  which  the  490  years  had  their  be- 
ginning ;  viz.  "  the  going  forth  of  the  commandment  to 
restore  and  rebuild  Jerusalem."  There  are  no  less  than 
three  decrees  mentioned  by  Ezra  to  restore  and  rebuild 
Jerusalem.  The  first  in  the  first  year  of  Cyrus,  (Ezra, 
ch.  i.)  536  B.C.  The  second,  in  the  reign  of  Darius  Hys- 
taspes,  (Ezra,  ch.  vi.)  518  B.C.  The  third,  in  the  sev- 
enth year  of  Artaxerxes,  called  also  Ahasuerus,  (Ezra, 
ch.  vii.)  457  (according  to  Usher)  before  Christ.  The 
decrees  of  Darius  and  Artaxerxes  were  merely  confirma- 
tory of  the  decree  of  Cyrus ;  but  we  must  reckon  from 
the  going  forth  of  the  last  decree.  Add  to  457  the  age  of 
Christ,  33  years,  and  we  have  the  end  of  the  definite  period 
490  years,  at  which  reconciliation  was  to  be  made  for  in- 
iquity, and  everlasting  righteousness  was  to  be  brought  in. 
This  remarkable  prophecy  closes  with  a  prediction  of  the 
invasion  of  Palestine  by  the  Romans,  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  and  the  temple,  and  the  cessation  of  the  sacri- 
17 


194  APPENDIX. 

fice,  the  holy  place  being  overspread  by  the  abomination 
that  maketh  desolate.  It  is  this  prediction  in  Dan.  ix.  27, 
which  our  Lord,  Matt.  xxvi.  15,  applied  to  the  Romans, 
"  When  ye  shall  see  the  abomination  of  desolation,  which 
was  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet  standing  in  the  holy 
place,"  &c. 


DANIEL,    CHAP.    X. 


The  vision  of  Daniel,  recorded  in  the  tenth  chapter,  was 
designed  to  confirm  that  which  had  already  been  "noted 
in  the  scripture  of  truth" — that  the  Persian  empire  would 
be  overthrown  by  "  the  prince  of  Grecia,"  Alexander  the 
Great. 


DANIEL,    CHAP.    XI. 


1  Also  I,  in  the  first  year  of  Darius  the  Mede,  even  I,  stood  to  confirm 

2  and  to  strengthen  him.  And  now  will  I  shew  thee  the  truth.  Be- 
hold, there  shall  stand  up  yet  three  kings  in  Persia  ;  and  the  fourth 
shall  be  far  richer  than  they  all :  and  by  his  strength  through  his 
riches,  he  shall  stir  up  all  against  the  realm  of  Grecia. 

Cyrus,  who  held  the  empire  conjointly  with  his  uncle, 
Darius  the  Mede,  was  upon  the  throne  at  the  time  this 
revelation  was  made  to  Daniel,  by  the  man  clothed  in 
linen.  The  "three  kings  in  Persia,"  who  succeeded  him, 
whose  reigns  are  here  predicted,  were  Cambyses,  his  son, 
528  B.C. ;  Smerdis,  the  usurper,  522  B.C.;  Darius  Hys- 
taspes,  521  B.C.  "  The  fourth"  was  Xerxes,  the  great. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  celebrated  rulers  of  antiquity,  and 
it  was  foretold  that  he  should  "  stir  up  all  against  the 
realm  of  Grecia."  This  he  did  ;  for  at  the  head  of  the 
greatest  army  ever  mustered,  he  crossed  the  Hellespont  for 
the  invasion  of  Greece. 


APPENDIX.  '  195 

3  And  a  mighty  king  shall  stand  up,  that  shall  rule  with  great  domin- 

4  ion,  and  do  according  to  his  will.  And  when  he  shall  stand  up, 
his  kingdom  shall  be  broken,  and  shall  be  divided  toward  the  four 
winds  of  heaven  ;  and  not  to  his  posterity,  nor  according  to  his  do- 
minion which  he  ruled :  for  his  kingdom  shall  be  plucked  up,  even 
for  others  besides  those. 

This  part  of  the  prophecy  unquestionably  relates  to 
Alexander  the  Great.  In  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  his 
empire  was  foretold  as  the  "  kingdom  g|f  brass"  which 
should  bear  rule  over  all  the  earth.  In  Daniel's  second 
vision  it  was  foretold  by  the  image  of  a  he-goat  of  great 
size,  which  was  to  invade  the  empire  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians,  from  the  west,  advancing  with  such  rapidity  as 
to  seem  not  to  touch  the  ground.  Alexander,  the  founder 
of  this  empire,  is  here  described  as  extending  his  domin- 
ions far  and  wide,  and  ruling  with  absolute  power  over 
the  nations  vanquished  by  him.  But  his  empire  was  to  be 
of  short  continuance  ;  it  was  to  be  divided  "  toward  the 
four  winds  of  heaven,"  or  into  four  great  kingdoms.  The 
history  which  so  fully  illustrates  this  part  of  the  predic- 
tion, has  already  been  sufficiently  noticed.  Macedon, 
Thrace,  Egypt,  and  Syria,  were  the  kingdoms  into  which 
his  empire  was  divided ;  and  for  others  than  his  own  pos- 
terity. These  prophecies  were  shown  to  Alexander  by 
the  Jewish  high  priest,  when  the  conqueror  visited  Jerusa- 
lem on  his  way  to  invade  Persia. 

5  And  the  king  of  the  south  shall  be  strong,  and  one  of  his  princes ; 
and  he  shall  be  strong  above  him,  and  have  dominion ;  his  domin- 

6  ion  shall  be  a  great  dominion.  And  in  the  end  of  years  they  shall 
join  themselves  together ;  for  the  king's  daughter  of  the  south  shall 
come  to  the  king  of  the  north  to  make  an  agreement :  but  she  shall 
not  retain  the  power  of  the  arm ;  neither  shall  he  stand,  nor  his 
arm :  but  she  shall  be  given  up,  and  they  that  brought  her,  and  he 
that  begat  her,  and  he  that  strengthened  her  in  these  times, 

"  The  king  of  the  south"  was  Ptolemy  Lagus,  or  Soter, 


196  APPENDIX. 

as  he  is  sometimes  called,  who  was  king  of  Egypt,  which 
was  situated  south  of  Judea.  Syria  was  on  the  north, 
which  kingdom,  at  the  partition  of  the  empire,  fell  to  Se- 
leucus  Nicator.  Henry  suggests  the  reason  why  the 
sovereigns  of  Syria  and  Egypt  are  so  particularly  referred 
to  by  the  prophet — they  were  "  strong,"  i.  e.  carried  on 
war  against  the  people  of  God.  The  Jews  were  at  first 
in  subjection  to  the  Ptolemies,  and  were  cruelly  persecuted 
by  Ptolemy  Phi!ipater,  who  attempted  to  penetrate  into  the 
most  holy  place  of  the  temple.  About  40,000  of  them  were 
slain  at  Alexandria.  But  the  king  of  the  iiorth  was  strong 
above  "  the  king  of  the  south  ;"  the  people  of  God  suffered, 
far  more  from  the  Seleucidse  than  they  did  from  the  La- 
gidse  or  the  Ptolemies.  Antiochus  the  Great,  to  whom 
they  submitted  at  first,  treated  them  well ;  but  Antiochus 
Epiphanes  went  far  beyond  Ptolemy  Philopater  in  his 
atrocities  and  cruelties  towards  the  Jews.  But  the  kings 
of  Egypt  and  Syria  were  also  strong  in  respect  to  the  ex- 
tent of  their  dominion.  Most  of  the  maritime  provinces  of 
Asia  Minor,  with  Egypt,  Coele-Syria,  Arabia,  and  Pales- 
tine, were  included  in  the  empire  of  the  Ptolemies  ;  but 
the  Seleucidse  are  said  to  have  had  no  less  than  seventy- 
two  kingdoms  under  them,  so  that  their  dominion  was 
much  more  extensive  than  that  of  the  kings  of  Egypt. 
The  dynasty  set  up  by  Seleucus  Nicator,  was  in  fact  much 
more  powerful  than  that  of  any  other  of  Alexander's  suc- 
cessors. 

6  And  in  the  end  of  years  they  shall  join  themselves  together ;  for  the 
king's  daughter  of  the  south  shall  come  to  the  king  of  the  north  to 
make  an  agreement:  but  she  shall  not  rftain  the  power  of  the  arm; 
neither  shall  he  stand,  nor  his  arm:  but  she  shall  be  given  up,  and 
they  that  brought  her,  and  he  that  begat  her,  and  he  that  strength- 
ened her  in  these  times. 

This  is  a  most  remarkable  prediction.     It  is  a  circum- 


APPENDIX.  197 

stantial  account  of  events  most  extraordinary  in  their  na- 
ture, given  more  than  300  years  before  they  took  place. 
It  is  foretold  here  that  in  the  end  of  (appointed)  years,  that 
is,  not  far  from  70  years  after  the  partition  of  the  Mace- 
donian empire,  the  kings  of  Syria  and  Egypt,  mentioned 
in  the  preceding  verse,  should  conclude  a  treaty  of 
peace ;  that  the  daughter  of  Ptolemy  should  marry  the 
king  of  Syria  ;  but  that  she  should  be  divorced,  and  both 
her  husband  and  her  father  should  be  cut  off  The  facts 
of  history  are  these  :  Seleucus  Theos,  and  Ptolemy  Phila- 
delphus,  had  been  engaged  in  war  for  a  long  space  of  time, 
during  which  Antiochus  lost  all  the  eastern  provinces  of 
his  empire,  beyond  the  Tigris,  by  revolt.  These  disasters 
led  him  to  desire  a  peace,  and  a  treaty  was  accordingly 
entered  into  with  Ptolemy,  by  which  Seleucus  agreed  to 
divorce  his  wife  Laodice,  and  marry  Berenice  the  daugh- 
ter of  Ptolemy,  and  to  disinherit  his  children  by  Laodice, 
and  secure  the  crown  to  those  of  Berenice.  Laodice  was 
accordingly  repudiated,  and  the  marriage  with  the  daugh- 
ter of  Ptolemy  was  celebrated  with  great  splendor  at  Se- 
leucia.  Ptolemy,  whose  health  had  long  been  declining, 
died  246  B.C.  The  tidings  had  no  sooner  reached  Seleu- 
cus, than  he  repudiated  Berenice  and  reinstated  Laodice. 
The  queen  well  knew  the  fickleness  of  her  husband's  dis- 
position ;  she  therefore  caused  him  to  be  poisoned,  and 
concerted  artful  measures,  by  which  she  had  her  eldest  son 
Callinicus  proclaimed  king.  Not  thinking  herself  secure 
as  long  as  Berenice  and  her  son  lived,  she  at  length  found 
means  to  have  them  destroyed.  Berenice,  her  son,  and 
their  Egyptian  attendants,  were  murdered  in  the  most 
inhuman  manner  at  Daphne,  where  they  had  taken 
refuge. 

Porphyry,  a  celebrated  infidel,  who  flourished  near  the 
close  of  the  third  century  of  the  Christian  era,  in  the 
17* 


198  APPENDIX. 

twelfth  of  the  fifteen  books  which  he  wrote  against  the 
Christian  religion,  represented  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  as 
predictions  made  after  the  events  to  which  they  refer.  He 
affirmed  that  they  were  written  b)^  somebody  who  lived  in 
Judea  about  the  time  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes.  To  charge 
"the  composition  with  being  a  forgery,  was  the  only  way  in 
which  he  could  resist  the  evidence  of  its  divine  origin  ;  and 
it  is  one  of  the  most  striking  proofs  of  the  "  historical  cor- 
rectness and  minuteness  of  the  description."  But  the  book 
of  Daniel,  besides  giving  in  outline  the  history  of  the  Sy- 
rian and  Egyptian  monarchies,  and  particularly  the  his- 
tory of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  contains,  as  we  have  seen, 
predictions  which  were  not  fulfilled  until  long  after  his 
day,  and  others  which  are  not  even  yet  fully  accom- 
plished, and  will  not  be  till  the  day  of  millennial  glory. 
Besides  the  well-known  religious  care  with  which  the 
Jews  transcribed  and  preserved  the  sacred  writings,  is  ut- 
terly irreconcilable  with  the  idea  of  forgery  or  interpolation. 

7  But  out  of  a  branch  of  her  roots  shall  one  stand  up  in  his  estate, 
which  shall  come  with  an  army,  and  shall  enter  into  the  fortress  of 
the  king  of  the  north,  and  shall  deal  against  them  and  shall  prevail: 

8  And  shall  also  carry  captive  into  Egypt  their  gods,  with  their 
princes,  and  with  their  precious  vessels  of  silver  and  of  gold  ;  and 

9  he  shall  continue  more  years  than  the  king  of  the  north.  So  the 
king  of  the  south  shall  come  into  his  kingdom,  and  shall  return  into 
his  own  land. 

This  part  of  the  prophecy  declares  that  a  relative  of 
Berenice  would  come  with  an  army  from  his  kingdom  to 
avenge  her  death — that  he  would  obtain  the  victory  over 
<'  the  king  of  the  north,"  that  is,  Syria — that  he  would  take 
captive  their  princes,  and  carry  their  gods  and  vessels  of 
gold  and  silver  away  with  him — and  that  this  conqueror 
would  outlive  the  king  of  the  north.  It  is  also  foretold  that 
the  king  of  the  south  would  return  into  his  own  land,  with- 


APPENDIX.  199 

out  effecting  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  king  of  the 
north.  The  facts  of  history  are  these  ;  Ptolemy  Euer- 
getes,  king  of  Egypt,  when  he  heard  of  the  peril  of  his 
sister  Berenice,  at  Daphne,  marched  a  formidable  army 
into  Syria,  and  caused  Laodice  to  be  put  to  death,  took 
from  Callinicus,  Syria,  Cilicia,  and  several  of  his  eastern 
provinces,  seized  40,000  talents  of  silver,  and  2500  sta- 
tues, among  which  were  the  gods  of  Egypt  which  Camby- 
ses  had  sent  into  Persia,  and  carried  them  back  into 
Egypt.  A  sedition  required  Ptolemy  to  return  home,  or 
he  would  certainly  have  conquered  the  entire  Syrian  em- 
pire.    He  survived  Callinicus  four  or  five  years. 

10  But  his  sons  shall  be  stirred  up,  and  shall  assemble  a  multitude  of 
great  forces :  and  one  shall  certainly  come,  and  overflow,  and  pass 
through:  then  shall  he  return,  and  be  stirred  up,  ei;en,  to  his  for- 
tress 

The  sons  of  Seleucus  Callinicus  were  Seleucus  Cerau- 
nus  and  Antiochus  the  Great.  Ceraunus  succeeded  his 
father,  but  after  a  reign  of  three  years,  he  wafs  poisoned 
by  two  of  his  generals.  Accordingly  he  is  almost  imme- 
diately lost  sight  of  in  the  prophecy,  and  the  prophet  pro- 
ceeds to  give  an  outline  of  the  leading  events  in  the  life 
of  the  other  son,  Antiochus  Magnus,  or  "  the  Great,"  who 
succeeded  Ceraunus.  His  most  important  enterprises  are 
enumerated,  and  even  the  manner  of  his  death  intimated. 
The  great  forces  which  had  been  assembled  were  directed 
against  Ptolemy  Philopater,  and  in  the  course  of  two  years, 
Antiochus  had  recovered  a  great  portion  of  Asia  Minor, 
Medea,  Persia,  and  Ccsle-Syria.  In  the  year  220  B.C., 
he  marched  to  the  frontier  towns  (fortresses)  of  Egypt. 

11  And  the  king  of  the  south  shall  be  moved  with  choler,  and  shall 
come  forth  and  fight  with  him,  even  with  the  king  of  the  north ; 
and  he  shall  set  forth  a  great  multitude ;  but  the  multitude  shall  be 


200  APPENDIX. 

12  given  into  his  hand.  And  when  he  hath  taken  away  the  multitude, 
his  heart  shall  be  lifted  up ;  and  he  shall  cast  down  many  ten  thou- 
sands :  but  he  shall  not  be  strengthened  by  it. 

Ptolemy  Philopater,  who  is  described  as  an  effeminate 
prince,  is  at  length  excited  by  the  threatened  invasion  of 
his  kingdom,  and  marches  with  an  army  of  75,000  foot 
and  5,000  horse  to  meet  Antiochus,  whose  army  numbered 
62,000  foot  and  6,000  horse.  Antiochus  was  routed  at 
Raphia  near  Gaza,  with  the  loss  of  10,000  foot,  and  300 
horse.  Ptolemy,  flushed  with  victory,  visited  the  cities  of 
Coele-Syria  and  Palestine,  and  among  others,  Jerusalem. 
Here  he  offered  sacrifices  in  the  temple,  and  was  desirous 
of  entering  into  the  holy  of  holies.  The  opposition  which 
the  Jews  made  to  it,  served  but  to  increase  his  curiosity. 
While  pressing  through  to  the  inner  court,  he  fell  speech- 
less to  the  ground,  and  was  carried  off  in  a  state  of  insen- 
sibility. He  departed  greatly  incensed  with  the  Jews,  and 
commenced  a  cruel  persecution  against  them,  216  B.C.,  in 
which  "  many  ten  thousands,"  according  to  one  authority 
40,000,  according  to  another  60,000,  were  slain.  In- 
stead of  strengthening  him,  it  was  highly  impolitic,  to  de- 
stroy so  many  of  his  own  subjects. 

1 3  For  the  king  of  the  north  shall  return,  and  shall  set  forth  a  multi- 
tude greater  than  the  former,  and  sh£\,ll  certainly  come  after  certain 

14  years  with  a  great  army  and  with  much  riches.  And  in  those  times 
there  shall  many  stand  up  against  the  king  of  the  south :  al^o  the 
robbers  of  thy  people  shall  exalt  themselves  to  establish  the  vision ; 
but  they  shall  fall. 

After  Ptolemy  Philopater,  who  died  of  intemperance 
and  debauchery,  his  infant  son,  Ptolemy  Epiphanes,  as- 
cended the  throne — Antiochus  collected  a  more  powerful 
army  than  he  had  before,  and  marched  against  Egypt. 
This  was  "  after  certain  years;"  some  twelve  or  fourteen, 
after  the  battle   of    Raphia.       He  defeated    Scopas,  the 


APPENDIX.  201 

Egyptian  general,  near  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  and  re- 
gained the  whole  country  which  Philopater  had  taken  from 
him.  About  the  same  time,  Egypt  was  disturbed  by  sedi- 
tions, and  several  of  the  provinces  rebelled  against  Ptol- 
emy Epiphanes.  Scopas  sought  to  dispossess  the  infant 
monarch  of  his  crown  .and  life,  and  Agathocles  and  Aga- 
thoclea  conspired  for  the  regency.  Philip  of  Macedon 
united  with  Antiochus  in  a  plan  to  divide  the  Egyptian 
kingdom  between  them,  and  the  Jews  rebelled  and  joined 
with  Antiochus.  A  faction  among  the  Jews,  however,  ad- 
hered to  the  king  of  Egypt ;  these  are  the  "  robbers," 
the  refractory  ones,  who  "  complied  with  everything  re- 
quired of  them,  even  in  opposition  to  the  sacred  ordinances 
of  the  law,"  and  all  to  "  establish,"  or  help  forward  the 
accomplishment  of  the  prophecy.  "  But  they  shall  fall ;" 
when  Antiochus  obtained  possession  of  Jerusalem,  all 
these  adherents  of  Ptolemy  were  banished. 

15  So  the  king  of  the  north  shall  come,  and  cast  up  a  moiwit,  and  take 
the  most  fenced  cities :  and  the  arms  of  the  south  shall  not  with- 
stand, neither  his  chosen  people,  neither  shall  there  be  any  strength 

16  to  withstand.  But  he  that  cometh  against  him  shall  do  according 
to  his  own  will,  and  none  shall  stand  before  him  :  and  he  shall 
stand  in  the  glorious  land,  which  by  his  hand  shall  be  consumed. 

17  He  shall  also  set  his  face  to  enter  with  the  strength  of  his  whole 
kingdom,  and  upright  ones  with  him;  thus  shall  he  do:  and  he 
shall  give  him  the  daughter  of  women,  corrupting  her:  but  she  shall 

18  not  stand  on  his  side,  neither  be  for  him.  After  this  shall  he  turn 
his  face  unto  the  isles,  and  shall  take  many :  but  a  prince  for  his 
own  behalf  shall  cause  the  reproach  offered  by  him  to  cease;  with- 

19  out  his  own  reproach  he  shall  cause  it  to  turn  upon  him.  Then  he 
shall  turn  his  face  toward  the  fort  of  his  own  land:  but  he  shall 
stumble  and  fall,  and  not  be  found. 

Scopas,  the  Egyptian  general,  reconquered  Palestine 
and  Ccele-Syria,  199  B.C.,  but  Antiochus,  the  following 
year,  recovered  them,  and  took  Sidon  a  "  fenced"  or  for- 


202  APPENDIX. 

tified  city,  Gaza,  and  other  fortified  places,  notwithstand- 
ing the  chosen  and  powerful  troops  led  by  Scopas.  It 
was  now  that  his  authority  became  firmly  established  in 
Judea,  "the  glorious  land."  The  garrison  which  Scopas 
had  fixed  in  the  castle  of  Jerusalem,  defended  itself  so 
well,  as  to  require  all  the  forces  of  Antiochus,  and  the 
siege  continuing  long,  the  country  was  "  consumed,"  or 
drained  of  its  provisions.  The  Hebrew  may  be  translated 
"  perfected,"  and  then  the  passage  will  refer  to  the  many 
favors  shown  to  the  Jews  by  Antiochus  the  Great ;  for 
they  flourished  greatly  under  him.  Antiochus  was  now 
resolved  to  make  himself  master  of  the  "  whole  kingdom" 
of  Eg3'-pt ;  the  "  upright  ones,"  or  the  Jews,  were  his 
subjects,  and  some  of  them  were  in  his  army.  He  would 
have  marched  his  army  directly  into  Egypt,  but  he  dis- 
covered that  the  Romans  were  disposed  to  favor  the  cause 
of  the  young  king  of  that  country  ;  he  therefore  resorted 
to  stratagem,  and  gave  him  his  daughter  Cleopatra  in 
marriage,  that  she  might  betray  her  husband  to  him.  But 
she  loved  her  husband  better  than  her  father,  and  was 
true  to  his  interests.  Antiochus  now  turned  in  a  ditfer- 
ent  direction  ;  he  marched  westward,  and  subdued  most 
of  the  maritime  towns  of  Asia  Minor,  and  several  islands, 
and  thus  commenced  his  war  with  the  Romans.  His  de- 
feat is  next  foretold.  "  A  prince"  or  leader,  meaning  the 
Roman  general,  should  cause  the  reproach  offered  by  him 
to  cease.  He  was  vanquished  by  Acilius,  the  Roman 
consul,  191  B.C.,  and  again  by  L.  Scipio,  assisted  by  the 
king  of  Pergamos,  B.C.  190.  He  was  obliged  to  submit 
to  the  most  humiliating  conditions  of  peace,  by  which,  in 
fact,  he  and  his  successors  became  tributary  to  the  Ro- 
mans. He  fled  to  Antioch,  "  the  fort  of  his  own  land," 
and  was  afterwards  slain  by  his  own  subjects,  at  Elymais 
in  Persia,  near  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Belus,  which  he  was 


APPENDIX.  203 

engaged  in  plundering,  in  order  to  pay  the  tribute  required 
by  the  Romans. 

20  Then  shall  stand  up  in  his  estate  a  raiser  of  taxes  in  the  glory  of 
the  kingdom:  but  within  few  days  he  shall  be  destroyed,  neither  in 
anger  nor  in  battle. 

Seleucus  Philopater  succeeded  his  father,  185  B.C.  In 
order  to  raise  the  tribute  demanded  by  the  Romans,  1 000 
talents  annually,  he  became  a  tax-gatherer,  an  extortioner, 
and  caused  the  glory  of  the  kingdom  to  cease.  "  The 
twelve  years  of  this  tribute  ended  exactly  with  his  life." 
He  was  assassinated  by  his  ambitious  treasurer,  IJeliodo- 
rus,  and  thus  ended  his  inglorious  reign. 

ANTIOCHUS   EPIPHANES. 

As  the  leading  facts  in  the  history  of  this  king  have  al- 
ready  been  given,  nothing  more  will  be  necessary  here 
than  to  indicate  the  historical  facts  by  which  the  pro- 
phecy was  fulfilled. 

21  And  in  his  estate  shall  "  Vile"  —  fond  of  the  lowest 
stand  up  a  vile  person,  to  vices ;  cruel. — The  kingdom  be- 
whom  they  shall  not  give  bnged  rightfully  to  Demetrius ; 
the  honor  of  the  kingdom:  one  party  of  the  Syrians  declared 
but  he  shal  come  m  peace-  -r  r  ^.i  i-fT?  «.  j 
ably,  and  obtain  the  king-  ^"  ^^^^  .^^  f"^  ^^^"g  «f  E^ypt,  and 
dom  by  flatteries.  another  m   favor   ot    Heliodorus  ; 

but  by  flattering  the  Syrians  and 
the  Romans,  and  Euraenes  and  At- 
talus,  he  obtained  the  kingdom. 

22  Andwiththearmsofaflood  "Arms  of  a  flood" — the  forces 
shall  they  be  overflown  of  Eumenes,  by  means  of  which 
from  before  him,  and  shall  he  destroyed  the  conspiracy  of  Heli- 
be  broken;  yea  also  the  odorus,  and  overthrew  the  factions 
pnnce  of  the  covenant.         ^^^^^^^  ^^  ^-^^     ,.  p^.^^^^  ^^  ^^^^ 

covenant;"  Demetrius,  his  nephew, 
the  lawful  heir,  with  whom  he 
pretended  to  have  made  a  cove- 
nant to  resign  on  his  return  from 
Rome. 

23  And  afler  the  league  made  This  pretence  was  made  for  the 
with  him  he  shall  work  de-    purpose  of  deception ;  he  intended, 


204 


APPENDIX. 


ceitfully :  for  he  shall  come 
up,  and  become  strong 
with  a  small  people. 

24  He  shall  enter  peaceably- 
even  upon  the  fattest  places 
of  the  province  ;  and  he 
shall  do  that  which  his  fa- 
thers have  not  done,  nor 
his  fathers'  fathers ;  he 
shall  scatter  among  them 
the  prey,  and  spoil,  and 
riches:  yea,  and  he  shall 
forecast  his  devices  against 
the  strong  holds,  even  for 
a  time. 

25  And  he  shall  stir  up  his 
pow^  and  his  courage 
against  the  king  of  the 
south  with  a  great  army ; 
and  the  king  of  the  south 
shall  be  stirred  up  to  battle 
with  a  very  great  and 
mighty  army  ;  but  he  shall 
not  stand :  for  they  shall 
forecast  devices  against 
him. 

26  Yea,  they  that  feed  of  the 
portion  of  his  meat  shall 
destroy  him,  and  his  army 
shall  overflow :  and  many 
shall  fill  down  slain. 

27  And  both  these  kings' 
hearts  shall  he  to  do  mis- 
chief, and  they  shall  speak 
lies  at  one  table;  but  it 
shall  not  prosper :  for  yet 
the  end  shall  be  at  the  time 
appointed. 

28  Then  shall  he  return  into 
his  land  with  great  riches; 
and  his  heart  shall  be 
against  the  holy  covenant ; 
and  he  shall  do  exploits, 
and  return  to  his  owji  land. 

29  At  the  time  appointed  he 
shall  return,  and  come  to- 
ward the  south;  but  it 
shall  not  be  as  the  former, 
or  as  the  latter. 

30  For  the  ships  of  Chittim 
shall  come  against    him : 


although  the  party  that  favored 
him  was  small  at  first,  to  usurp 
the  kingdom. 

He  accordingly  resorted  to  means 
which  none  of  his  predecessors  had 
ever  employed.  He  was  munifi- 
cent in  his  gifts ;  he  w^ould  stand 
in  the  public  streets,  and  scatter 
money  among  the  people.  By 
such  profusion  he  attached  the 
people  to  him,  and  prepared  for 
his  warlike  enterprises. 

First  expedition  against  Egypt, 
171  B.C.,  in  the  fifth  year  of  his 
reign.  The  young  Ptolemy  Phi- 
lometor  was  easily  vanquished. 
"  They  that  feed,"  &c. — Ptolemy 
was  betrayed  by  Eulaeus,  his  pre- 
ceptor ;  Macron  delivered  up  Cy- 
prus to  Antiochus  ;  the  inhabitants 
of  Alexandria  proclaimed  Phys- 
con  king.  In  the  treaty  made  be- 
tw^een  Antiochus  and  Ptolemy 
Philometor,  there  was  great  dis- 
simulation on  both  sides.  The 
former  professed  to  have  his 
nephew's  interest  in  view,  the  lat- 
ter to  have  the  greatest  confidence 
in  his  uncle  ;  but  both  were  insin- 
cere, and  yet  neither  of  them  se- 
cured the  object  aimed  at  by  this 
artifice. 

Antiochus  having  seized  the 
strong  cities  in  Egypt,  and  taken 
the  spoil  thereof,  returned  into 
Syria.  He  commenced  persecu- 
ting the  Jews  ;  he  slew  thousands 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem. 

He  undertook  another  expedition 
to  Egypt,  two  years  after  the  one 
before  referred  to,  but  it  was  not 
equally  successful ;  he  was  deter- 
red from  prosecuting  it  by  an  em- 
bassy from  the  Komans,  under  Po- 


APPENDIX. 


205 


therefore  he  shall  be  griev- 
ed, and  return,  and  have 
indignation  against  the 
holy  covenant;  so  shall  he 
do;  he  shall  even  return, 
and  have  intelligence  with 
them  that  forsake  the  holy 
covenant. 


31  And  arms  shall  stand  on 
his  part,  and  they  shall 
pollute  the  sanctuary  of 
strength,  and  shall  take 
away  the  daily  sacrifice, 
and  they  shall  place  the 
abomination  that  maketh 
desolate. 

32  And  such  as  do  wickedly 
against  the  covenant  shall 
he  corrupt  by  flatteries :  but 
the  people  that  do  know 
their  God  shall  be  strong, 
and  do  exploits. 

33  And  they  that  understand 
among  the  people  shall  in- 
struct many  :  yet  they 
shall  fall  by  the  sword,  and 
by  flame,  by  captivity,  and 
by  spoil,  many  days. 

34  Now  when  they  shall  fall, 
they  shall  be  holpen  with 
a  little  help :  but  many 
shall  cleave  to  them  wit!i 
flatteries. 

35  And  some  of  them  of  un- 
derstanding  shall   fall,   to 


pilius  Laenas,  who  arrived  on 
board  a  fleet  in  Egypt,  having 
been  sent  by  the  Senate,  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  sons  of  Cleopatra. 
"  Chittim"  was  a  general  name  for 
Italy,  Greece,  and  the  islands  of 
the  Mediterranean.  Great  was 
the  indignation  of  Antiochus,  at 
being  compelled  to  leave  Egypt ; 
and  heartless  tyrant  as  he  was,  he 
resolved  to  vent  it  against  the 
Jews,  whom  he  detested,  and  whom 
he  had  severely  persecuted  at  his 
return  from  Egypt,  on  a  former  oc- 
casion, slaying,  it  is  said,  40,000  in 
the  space  of  three  days,  and  sell- 
ing as  many  more  into  captivity. 
Some  have  supposed  that  there  is 
at  this  point  in  the  prophecy,  a 
transition  to  the  Romans,  but  such 
a  supposition  seems  altogether  ar 
bitrary  and  unwarrantable. 

Appolonias  was  despatched  into 
Judea  with  an  army  of  22,000 
men;  he  plundered  Jerusalem, 
fired  it  in  several  places,  slew  those 
who  came  to  worship  in  the  temple, 
so  that  the  daily  sacrifice  was 
omitted.  With  the  concurrence 
of  Maccabeus  and  other  apostate 
Jews,  the  temple  was  consecrated 
to  Jupiter  Olympius,  and  his  status 
placed  in  it. 

"The  people  that  do  know  their 
God" — the  pious  Jews,  led  by 
Eleazar  and  the  Maccabees,  with 
great  courage,  withstood  the  pro- 
fanations of  Antiechus.  Judas 
Maccabeus  and  Mattathias  had 
but  a  small  force,  but  they  did 
"  exploits."  Yet  the  persecutor 
did  all  he  could  by  the  sword,  by 
fire,  by  captivity,  to  extenninate 
the  true  rehgion.  In  the  pride  of 
his  heart,  he  blasphemed  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  boasted  that  ho 
18 


20G 


APPENDIX. 


try  them,  and  to  purge  and 
to  make  them  white,  eceii 
to  the  time  of  the  end  :  be- 
cause it  is  yet  for  a  time 
appointed. 
3G  And  the  king  shall  do  ac- 
cording to  his  will;  and  he 
shall  exalt  himself,  and 
magnify  himself  above 
every  god,  and  shall  speak 
marvellous  things  against 
the  God  of  gods,  and  shall 
prosper  till  the  indignation 
be  accomplished  :  for  that 
is  determined  sliallbe  done. 

37  Neither  shall  he  regard  the 
Cxod  of  his  fathers,  nor  the 
desire  of  women,  nor  re- 
gard any  god  :  for  he  shall 
magnify  himself  above  all, 

38  But  in  his  estate  shall  he 
honor  the  god  of  forces: 
and  a  god  whom  his  fa- 
thers knew  not  shall  he 
honor  with  gold,  and  sil- 
ver, and  with  precious 
stones,  and  pleasant  things. 

i9  Thus  shall  he  do  in  the 
most  strong  holds  with  a 
strange  god,  whom  he  shall 
acknowledge  and  increase 
with  glory;  and  he  shall 
cause  them  to  rule  over 
many,  and  shall  divide  the 
land  for  grain. 

40  And  at  the  time  of  the 
end  shall  the  king  of  the 
south  push  at  him:  and 
the  king  of  the  north  shall 
come  against  him  like  a 
whirlwind,  with  chariots, 
and  with  horsemen,  and 
with  many  ships;  and  he 
shall  enter  into  the  coun- 
tries and  shall  overflow  and 
pass  over. 

41  He  shall  enter  also  into 
the  glorious  land,  and 
many  countries  shall  be 
overthrown  ;  but  these 
shall  escape  out  of  his 
hand,    even    Edom,    and 


would  not  leave  a  single  trace  of 
the  Jewish  religion. 


"  Epiplianes  ridiculed  all  reli- 
gions. He  plundered  the  temples 
of  Greece,  and  wanted  to  rob  that 
of  Elymais."  It  has  heen  sug- 
gested that  his  not  regarding  the 
desire  of  women  may  refer  to  his 
unnatural  lusts,  or  to  his  cruelty, 
which  spared  no  age  or  sex.  The 
god  of  forces  may  mean  Jupiter 
(Jlympius,  said  to  have  been  intro- 
duced among  the  Syrians  by  An- 
tiochus.  This  idol  he  introduced 
into  the  "  most  strong  holds,"  the 
sacred  temple  of  the  Jews. 


Here  is  foretold  his  last  expedi- 
tion against  Egypt,  and  his  over- 
throw. In  this  'furious  assault,  he 
took  the  "  glorious  land,"  or  the 
land  of  Israel  in  his  way,  to  lay  it 
waste.  Edom  and  Moab  joined 
him  against  the  Jews  and  Avere 
therefore  spared  from  desolation. 
The  Ethiopians  and  Libyans 
joined  him  against  Egypt,  antl  as- 
sisted him  in  taking  a  vast  amount 
of  treasure.  In  the  midst  of  his 
success,  the  intelligence  reached 
him,  that  the  provinces  of  the  East, 
and  the  king  of  Armenia  towards 


APPENDIX. 


207 


Moab,  and  the  chief  of  the 
children  of  Ammon. 

42  He  shall  stretch  forth  his 
hand  alio  upon  the  coun- 
tries :  nnd  the  land  of 
Egypt  shall  not  escape. 

43  But  he  shall  have  power 
over  the  treasures  of  gold 
and  of  silver,  and  over  all 
the  precious  things  of 
Egypt-  and  the  Libyans 
and  the  Ethiopians  s/ioZZ  6e 
at  his  steps. 

44  But  tidings  out  of  the  east 
and  out  of  the  north  shall 
trouble  him:  therefore  he 
shall  go  forth  with  great 
fury  to  dcstro}*rand  utter- 
ly to  make  away  many. 

45  And  he  shall  plant  the  ta- 
*  bernacles  of  his  palace  be- 
tween the  seas  in  the  glo- 
rious holy  mountain :  yet 
he  shall  come  to  his  end 
and  none  shall  help  iiim. 


the  north,  had  thrown  off  his  yoke  ; 
and  he  immediately  started  for  the 
provinces  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Euphrates ;  but  left  Lysias  in  coin- 
mand  of  a  part  of  his  army  to  sub- 
due the  Jews.  He  gave  him  or- 
ders to  extirpate  them,  not  to  leave 
one  Hebrew^  in  the  country,  but  to 
settle  it  with  other  inhabitants. 
But  Judas  obtained  the  victory 
with  but  a  handful  of  inen  over  an 
amiy  of  40,000  foot  and  7,000 
horse.  The  wretched  manner  in 
which  Antiochus  Epiphanes  met 
his  death,  when  the  news  of  the 
defeat  of  his  anny  reached  him  in 
Persia,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
levying  tribute,  has  already  been 
related.  He  came  to  his  end,  and 
none  helped  him.  He  was  "  bro- 
ken without  hand." 


Henry  makes  an  important  remark  in  regard  to  the  rea- 
son of  the  minuteness  of  this  prophecy  respecting  Anti- 
ochus Epiphanes :  "  All  this  (v.  21 — 45)  is  a  prophecy 
of  the  reign  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  the  little  horn, 
spoken  of  before,  chap.  viii.  9,  a  sworn  enemy  of  the  Jew- 
ish  religion,  and  a  bitter  persecutor  of  those  that  adhered 
to  it.  What  troubles  the  Jews  met  with  in  the  reigns  of 
the  Persian  kings,  were  not  so  particularly  foretold  as 
these  ;  because  then  they  had  living  prophets,  Haggai  and 
Zechariah,  to  encourage  them ;  but  these  troubles  in  the 
days  of  Antiochus  were  foretold,  because,  hefore  that  time 
•prophecy  would  cease,  and  they  loould  Jind  it  necessary  to 
have  recourse  to  the  luritten  word.'" 

"  It  is  the  usual  method  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  says  Bishop 
Newton,  "  to  make  the  latter  prophecies  explanatory  of 
the   former  ;    and  revelation  is,  Prov.  iv.  18,   'as  the  shi- 


208  -JB^-  APPENDIX. 


ning  light  that  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect 
day.'  The  memorable  events,  which  were  revealed  to 
Daniel  in  the  vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat,  are  here 
again  more  clearly  and  explicitly  revealed  in  his  last 
vision  by  an  angel ;  so  that  this  latter  prophecy  may  not 
improperly  be  said  to  be  a  comment  and  explanation  of 
the  former." — Newton  on  the  Prophecies,  11.  49. 

The  same  writer,  speaking  of  the  particular  and  circum- 
stantial character  of  this  prophecy,  (Dan.  chap,  xi.)  con- 
cerning the  kingdoms  of  Egypt  and  Syria,  says,  "  There  is 
not  so  complete  and  regular  a  series  of  their  kings,  there  is 
not  so  concise  and  comprehensive  an  account  of  their  af- 
fairs to  be  found  in  any  author  of  those  times.  The  pro- 
phecy is  really  more  perfect  than  any  history.  No  one 
historian  hath  related  so  many  circumstances,  and  in  such 
exact  order  of  time,  as  the  prophet  hath  foretold  them." 
II.  89. 


DANIEL,    CHAP.    XII. 

6  And  one  said  to  the  man  clothed  in  linen,  which  was  upon  the  wa- 
ters of  the  river,  How  long  shall  it  be  to  the  end  of  these  wonders  1 

7  And  I  heard  the  man  clothed  in  linen,  which  inas  upon  the  waters 
of  the  river,  when  he  held  up  his  right  hand  and  his  left  hand  unto 
heaven,  and  svvare  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  that  it  shall  be  for  a 
time,  times,  and  a  half;  and  when  he  shall  have  accomplished  to 
scatter  the  power  of  the  holy  people,  all  these  things  shall  be  fin- 
ished. 

11  And  from  the  time  that  the  daily  sacrijice  shall  be  taken  away,  and 
the  abomination  that  maketh  desolate  set  up,  there  shall  be  a  thou- 

13  sand  two  hundred  and  ninety  days.  Bles.sed  is  he  that  waiteth,  and 
Cometh  to  the  thousand  three  hundred  and  five  and  thirty  days. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  question,  "  How  long  shall 
it  be  to  the  end  of  these  wonders?"  must  refer  to  the  pre- 
ceding prophecy.    The  answer,  "  it  shall  be  for  time,  times, 


APPENDIX.  209 

and  a  half,"  or  "  part,"  as  it  is  in  the  margin,  refers  to  that 
period,  during  which  the  daily  sacrifice  would  be  taken 
away,  the  most  afflictive  of  all  the  acts  of  violence  and 
oppression  which  the  pious  Jews  experienced  at  the  hands 
of  Antiochus  Epiphanes.  It  is  the  same  period  foretold, 
chap.  vii.  25,  where  it  is  said  that  the  "  little  horn"  would 
think  to  change  times  and  laws,  and  the  saints  should  be 
given  into  his  hand,  "  until  a  time  and  times,  and  the  di- 
viding of  time."  We  have  the  same  period  clearly  ex- 
pressed in  the  eleventh  verse  of  this  chapter,  where  it  is 
said  that  there  should  be  a  thousand  two  hundred  and 
ninety  days  from  the  time  the  daily  sacrifice  was  taken 
away.  I  repeat  what  I  have  ventured  elsewhere  to  ex- 
press, that  I  am  yet  to  see  the  evidence  that  there  is  any 
such  period  in  Daniel  as  1260  days.  The  period  is  1290, 
given  first  enigmatically  in  chap.  vii.  25,  repeated  in 
chap.  xii.  7,  and  then  clearly  expressed  in  v.  11  of  the 
same  chapter. 

The  twelfth  verse  may  be  understood  as  expressing  the 
blessedness  of  the  believing  Jews,  who  should  see  the  end 
of  the  predicted  persecutions,  by  the  destruction  of  the 
persecutor ;  and  as  giving  the  very  period  that  was  to  in- 
tervene from  the  taking  away  of  the  daily  sacrifice  (the 
chief  circumstance  in  these  persecutions)  to  the  death  of 
the  oppressor.  Antiochus  perished  in  February,  164  B.C. 
The  daily  sacrifice  was  taken  away.  May  25th,  168  B.C. 
1335  days  are  equal  to  three  Jewish  years,  eight 
months  and  fifteen  days,  which  is  exactly  the  period  from 
May  25th,  168  B.C.,  to  Feb.  10th,  164  B.C. 

18*  • 


210 


APPENDIX. 


TABLE 

Showing  the  fulfilment  of  passages  in  Daniel,  which  contain  notes  of  time,  in 
literal  days. 


Dan. 

vili.  13, 14, 


2300  DAYS, 


Dan. 
vii.  25. 

xii.  7. 
(margin.) 
xu.  11. 

1290  DATS. 


Dan. 
xii.  12. 


1335  DAYS. 


Subject. — Whole 
time  during  which 
the  sanctuary  and 
the  "host"  (priest- 
hood) would  be  trod- 
den under  foot,  and 
the  daily  sacrifice 
interrupted. 


Subject.— The  tak- 
ing away  of  the  dai- 
ly sacrifice.  The  re- 
storation of  the  daily 
sacrifice. 


Subject. — Blessed- 
ness of  the  believing 
Jews  who  should 
see  the  end  of  the 
persecutions. 


Events.— MASsetcre 
of  Or.ias,  the  high 
priest  by  Antiochus, 
Aug.  5tli  (suppos- 
ed): 171  B.  C. 

The  temple  clean- 
sed by  Maccabeus, 
and  the  daily  sacri- 
fice restored  Dec. 
25th,  165  B.  C. 


Events.- BblWy  sa- 
crifice taken  away. 
May  25th,  168  B.  C. 

Restored  Dec. 
25th,  165  B.  C. 


Events.-Ths  dai- 
ly sacrifice  taken 
away  (the  chief  cir- 
cumstance in  the 
predicted  persecu- 
tions), May  25th, 
168  B.  C. 

The  persecutor 
dead,  Feb.  10th  ("sup- 
posed), 164  B.  C. 


Time. 
B.C.  171.     Aug.  5th. 
B.  C.  165.    Dec.  25th. 


6  yrs.,  4  mos.,  20  ds.=2300 
days. 


Time. 
B.C.  168.    May  25th. 
B.  C.  165.    Dec.  25th. 


3  yrs.,  7  mos.=1290  days, 


Time. 
B.  C.  168.    May  25th. 
B.  C.  164.    Feb.  10th. 


3yrs.,8mos.,15ds.=1335 
days. 


See  the  Second  Book  of  Maccabees,  Josephus,  Prideaux's  Connection,  Rollin's 
Ancient  History,  Jahn's  Hebrew  Commonwealth,  and  the  Chronologists.  The 
Jewish  year  was  360  days,  the  Jewish  month  .30  days. 


THE    END. 


NEW  WORK  ON  THE  APOCALYPSE, 

BY   THE 

REV.  JAMES  M.  MACDONALD. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

From  the  Southern  Christian  {Methodist)  Advocate. 

"  This  is  a  modest,  sensible  little  book.  And  if  our  judgment  be 
correct,  this  is  saying  not  a  little  for  a  manual  on  the  Apocalpyse. 
The  truth  is,  although  we  have  never  been  inclined  to  endorse  the 
profanity  which  has  been  fathered  on  Dr.  South, — that  the  study  of 
the  Revelation  either  finds  a  man  mad  or  makes  him  so, — yet  as  so 
many  monomaniacs  have  of  late  been  trifling  with  this  book  and  its 
cognate  in  the  Old  Testament,  we  have  been  very  chary  in  our  outlay 
of  time  and  money  for  expositions  of  them.  But  we  have  read  Mr. 
Macdonald,  and  we  are  glad  that  we  have  done  so.  The  author  has 
very  carefully  avoided  an  error  into  which  the  expounders  of  prophecy 
generally  fall — he  has  not  presumed  to  prophesy  himself.  His  plan, 
to  use  his  own  language,  is  '  simply  to  afford  an  index  to  the  bearing 
and  general  scope  of  the  different  parts  of  the  book.'  He  evidently 
agrees  with  Sir  I.  Newton  in  the  sentiment, '  that  the  prophecies  were 
given  by  God,  not  to  gratify  men's  curiosities,  by  enabling  them  to 
foreknow  things,  but  that  after  they  were  fulfilled,  they  might  be  in- 
terpreted by  the  event,  and  his  own  providence.'  Keeping  this  con- 
servative canon  in  view,  he  opens  up  the  mysterious  volume,  according 
to  the  following  analysis  : — Part  First  contains  the  Introduction,  ch. 
i. — iii.  5  Part  Second,  Jewish  Persecutions,  and  the  destruction  of  the 
Jewish  Persecuting  Power,  ch.  iv. — xi.  14  ;  Part  Third,  Pagan  Per- 
secutions, and  the  end  of  the  Pagan  Persecuting  Power,  ch.  xi.  15 — 
xiii.  10  ;  Part  Fourth,  Papal  Persecutions  and  Errors,  and  their  end, 
ch.  xiii.  11 — xix. :  Part  Fifth,  Latter-day  Glory,  Battle  of  Gog  and 
Magog,  Final  Judgment,  Heavenly  State,  ch.  xx. — xxii.  By  inter- 
preting the  falling  star,  scorpion-like  locusts,  lion-like  horses  with  their 
fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone  readers,  of  the  Jewish  and  not  the  Mo- 
hammedan power,  Mr.  M.  has  been  led  to  differ  from  the  generality  of 
expositors,  and  we  shall  have^to  read  his  book  again  before  we  shall 
embrace  his  view,  which,  however,  we  are  bound  to  say,  is  far  from 
being  improbable.     But  we  are  almost  seduced  into  a  Review,  when 


[2] 

we  intended,  of  course,  only  a  notice.  Those  who  read  Macdonald 
will  be  gratified  to  see  how  easily  he  disposes  of  certain  classes  of 
Millenarians — including  the  Patristic  and  several  tribes  of  our  own 
day — especially  those  dreamers  who  imagine  a  personal,  secular  reign 
of  Christ,  with  the  martyrs,  for  a  thousand  years.  The  Appendix 
contains  a  simple  analysis  and  exposition  of  Daniel's  prophecies  ;  hav- 
ing this  peculiarity,  that  the  2300  days,  the  1290  days,  the  1335  days, 
are  literally  explained  according  to  the  real  history  of  those  times. 
The  four  beasts  of  Daniel's  first  vision,  also,  are  considered  entirely 
distinct  from  the  four  divisions  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  colossal  image, 
and  are  referred  to  the  four-fold  division  of  Alexander's  empire.  But 
we  must  stop,  and  let  our  readers  get  the  book." 

From  the  New-  York  Evangelist. 

"  We  have  not  lately  seen  a  more  rational  and  consistent  exposi- 
tion of  the  great  platform  of  future  prophecy,  than  Mr.  Macdonald  has 
here  so  succinctly  and  clearly  presented.  He  evidently  came  to  the 
interpretation  of  the  book  without  any  pre-constructed  theory  or  hobby ; 
and  candidly  studying,  with  the  aid  of  no  inconsiderable  scholarship, 
the  word  in  its  ewn  light,  and  seeking  to  know  the  mind  of  the  Spirit, 
he  has  presented  an  outline  which  strikes  us  as  eminently  consistent 
with  the  whole  scope  of  the  Scriptures,  and  with  the  uniform  belief  of 
the  wise  and  good  in  all  ages  of  the  church.  The  clear  and  animated 
style  in  which  the  truth  is  set  forth,  without  any  parade  of  learning 
(though  not  without  its  light  and  power,)  renders  the  book  exceedingly 
interesting,  and  well  adapted  for  popular  reading." 

From  the  Protestant  Churchman. 

"  Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  many  books  which  have  been 
written  in  exposition  of  the  Apocalypse,  will  be  apt,  on  taking  up  a 
new  one,  to  remember  the  pungent  remark  of  Dr.  South,  that  the  study 
of  this  remarkable  portion  of  the  sacred  canon  '  either  finds  a  man 
mad  or  makes  him  so.'  Sir  Isaac  Newton  spoke  to  the  point  when 
he  said  that, '  the  folly  of  interpreters  has  been  to  foretell  times  and 
things  by  the  prophecy,  as  if  God  designed  to  make  them  prophets. 
By  this  rashness  they  have  not  only  exposed  themselves,  but  brought 
the  prophecy  into  contempt.'  A  spirit  of  rash  speculation,  originating 
in  that  unchastened  enthusiasm  which  may  coexist  with  the  sincerest 
piety,  and  too  often  leading  to  the  wildest  reveries  of  fanaticism,  has 
been  exercised  upon  it  in  every  age  of  the  church  ;  and  one  sect  after 


[3] 

another,  from  the  dreamers  of  the  first  ages  of  Christianity  to  the 
disciples  of  William  Miller,  has  appealed  to  its  pages  with  equal  con- 
fidence in  support  of  its  favorite  dogmas. 

"  We  have  long  known  the  estimable  author,  as  a  scholar  of  no 
ordinary  attainments,  and  a  gentleman  in  whose  steadiness  of  principle 
and  sound  judgment  we  are  disposed  to  rely  as  confidently  as  on  those 
of  any  man  within  the  sphere  of  our  acquaintance.  The  perusal  of 
his  introduction  convinced  us  that  he  had  not  only  entered  upon  his 
work  in  the  most  cautious  and  reverent  spirit,  but  prosecuted  it 
throughout  on  sound  principles  of  scriptural  research.  Whether  his 
theory  be  the  true  one  or  not,  it  is  simple  and  comprehensive,  and  has 
led  him  especially  to  develope  the  practical  teachings  of  the  book 
before  him. 

"  The  style  of  the  book  is  pure,  perspicuous  and  elegant,  occasion- 
ally rising  into  the  highest  eloquence.  Whatever  opinion  may  be 
entertained  of  its  merits  as  a  systematic  and  continuous  commentary, 
its  literary  execution  is  in  every  sense  creditable." 

From  the  Christian  {Baptist)  Secretary,  Hartford. 

"  In  a  somewhat  extended  and  interesting  Introduction,  the  author 
labors,  and  we  think  to  some  purpose,  to  prove  that  the  Revelation 
was  written  previous  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  he  contends 
that  no  book  in  the  whole  Scripture  is  more  methodical  than  the  Apoc- 
alypse, If  he  is  correct  in  his  interpretations,  we  fully  agree  with  him 
as  regards  the  methodical  arrangement  of  the  book.  He  maintains 
that  the  sublime  descriptions  of  the  revelator  are  both  retrogressive 
and  prospective,  in  which  the  whole  history  of  the  Christian  church  is 
unfolded ;  commencing  with  its  origin,  and  extending  down  to  the 
final  consummation  of  all  things.  The  Appendix  contains  a  brief 
exposition  of  the  prophecies  of  Daniel,  in  which  the  2300,  1260  and 
1335  days  are  explained. 

"  The  book  of  Revelation  is  difficult  to  be  understood  ;  and  where 
so  many  learned  doctors  have  differed,  we  shall  not  attempt  to  decide 
which  is  right ;  but  we  have  not  the  least  hesitation  in  saying  that  the 
work  before  us  is  one  of  more  than  ordinary  merit.  The  author  is 
evidently  a  man  of  learning  and  sound  judgment.  In  the  arrange- 
ment of  his  book  he  has  hit  upon  the  most  simple,  concise,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  most  clear  and  intelligible  method  of  expounding  pro- 
phecy that  could  well  be  devised.  The  volume  contains  but  210  pages* 
and  yet  he  has  succeeded  in  condensing  within  this  brief  compass  a 
useful  commentary  which  others  might  have  extended  to  several  large 


[4] 

volumes.  We  are  pleased  with  the  book,  and  although  we  are  not 
prepared  to  endorse  this,  nor  any  other  exposition  of  the  Revelation, 
we  must  confess  that  it  would  be  fomid  a  difficult  matter  to  drive  the 
anthorfrom  the  positions  which  he  has  chosen." 

From  the  Genessee  Evangelist. 

"  We  are  pleased  with  the  character  of  this  work,  and  the  plan 
pursued  by  the  author.  He  possesses  a  clear  and  investigating  mind, 
and  his  exposition  throws  light  and  clearness  on  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion which  can  be  gathered  from  no  other  source.  It  will,  no  doubt, 
be  a  popular  book  among  theologians,  and  will  be  referred  to  and 
quoted  as  authority  by  many  who  have  hitherto  paid  but  little  attention 
to  this  highly  interesting  and  sublime  portion  of  the  Word  of  Life." 

Fro7n  the  Elizdbethtown  Journal. 

"  This  book  is  adapted  to  the  common  mind ;  written  with  judg- 
ment, good  sense,  and  great  simplicity.  There  are  more  learned  and 
elaborate  treatises  on  this  book  ;  but  we  have  met  with  none  so  well 
adapted  to  the  common  mind  desirous  to  obtain  a  general  knowledge 
of  the  visions  vouchsafed  to  John  in  Patmos.  To  us  it  is  a  great 
recommendation  of  this  work  that  '  Literalism'  and  '  the  personal 
reign  of  Christ  upon  earth,  find  in  it  no  advocacy." 

From  the  New-York  Observer. 

"  Commentaries  on  the  Apocalypse  are  almost  numberless,  yet  to 
many  readers  of  the  Bible  this  portion  of  holy  Scripture  is  a  sealed 
book.  The  writer  of  this  volume  has  sought  for  the  common-sense 
view  of  truth  as  contained  in  the  Revelation,  and  has  endeavored  to 
present  the  subject  in  a  light  that  is  intelligent  and  edifying  to  the 
simple  as  well  as  to  the  wise.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  gathering 
from  his  exposition,  a  consistent  and  connected  idea  of  the  nature 
and  ends  of  this  wonderful  prophecy." 

From  the  Religious  Recorder,  Syracuse. 

"  This  is  a  work  of  no  ordinary  labor.  It  bears  upon  its  face  the 
evidence  that  it  has  cost  the  author  deep  thought  and  patient  investi- 
gation. And  the  obscurity  of  that  portion  of  the  word  of  God  upon 
which  this  author  treats,  and  seeks  to  explain,  makes  it  the  more  wel- 
come. He  has  aimed  at  simplicity  and  happily  succeeded,  and  yet 
the  style  is  peculiarly  rich  and  entertaining.     It  is  too  much  to  sup- 


[5] 

pose  that  the  book  will  satisfy  all  who  read  it,  but  it  is  reasonable  to 
believe  that  all  will  be  richly  paid  for  a  perusal." 

From  the  Christian  Observer,  Philadelphia. 

"  We  can  commend  this  book  as  the  work  of  a  sensible  and  able 
writer,  earnest  in  the  pursuit  of  truth  and  in  his  efforts  to  present  it  in 
such  forms  as  will  render  it  interesting  and  useful  to  his  readers.'' 

From  the  Presbyterian. 

"  The  work  of  Mr.  Macdonald  displays  commendable  research, 
and  certainly  presents  a  very  intelligent  comment,  which  may  be  read 
with  profit  even  by  those  who  may  not  agree  with  him  in  all  his  views. 
He  has  aimed  at  simplicity,  and  may  be  easily  understood.  This  is 
no  ordinary  praise.  Literalists  will  not  think  he  has  hit  on  the  right 
key  in  interpreting  some  passages,  but  he  treats  their  views  courteously. 
An  Appendix  contains  an  interpretation  of  some  of  the  prophecies  of 
Daniel." 

From  the  Albany  Spectator. 

"  As  this  work  relates  to  a  portion  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  which? 
by  common  consent,  is  more  difficult  of  interpretation  than  any  other, 
it  were  not  to  be  expected  that  any  work  on  this  subject  should  com- 
mand any  thing  like  the  universal  approbation  of  Protestant  or  Evan- 
gelical Christians.  But  we  think  none  can  read  the  present  volume 
without  perceiving  that  it  is  no  novice  who  is  adventuring  into  this 
sublime,  obscure,  we  had  almost  said,  shadowy  field.  The  writer  has 
evidently  studied  his  subject  with  profound,  earnest  and  devout  atten- 
tion ;  and  he  evinces  much  of  that  sobriety  of  mind,  that  patience  of 
investigation,  that  disposition  to  bow  implicitly  to  the  divine  authority, 
which  constitute  the  essential  and  primary  requisites  to  a  good  com- 
mentator. From  some  of  his  positions  we  might  be  supposed  to  dis- 
sent ;  but  as  a  whole,  the  work  certainly  possesses  uncommon  merit, 
and  from  its  popular  as  well  as  its  sober  character  is  likely  to  render 
this  difficult  portion  of  Scripture  much  better  understood  by  a  large 
class  of  readers  than  it  has  hitherto  been." 

From  the  Princeton  Review. 

"  The  author  ably  vindicates  the  labor  which  he  has  bestowed  on 
this  neglected  part  of  Scripture  ;  and,  indeed,  his  brief  but  able  Pre- 


[6] 

face  sets  this  whole  matter  in  its  true  light.  The  exposition  is  the 
work  of  a  diligent  and  vigorous  mind,  grappling  with  a  difficult  sub- 
ject. It  is  marked  by  a  caution  and  religious  fear  which  is  sometimes 
wanting  in  such  discussions.  ******  In  the  general 
understanding  of  the  prophecy  we  agree  far  more  with  Mr.  Macdonald 
than  with  that  school  who  have  set  themselves  forward  as  his  con- 
temptuous opposers.  And  where  we  cannot  coincide  with  him  in 
opinion,  we  do  not  lose  our  high  respect  for  his  abilities  and  his 
intention." 

From  the  Methodist  Eeview. 

"  In  relation  to  the  unfulfilled  portions  of  the  book,  our  author 
speculates  with  great  modesty  and  moderation.  He  is  against  the 
visible  personal  reign  of  Christ  and  the  two  resurrections  held  by  Ad- 
ventists.  The  book  upon  the  whole  is  one  which  reflects  much  light 
upon  the  most  mysterious  portions  of  Holy  Scripture,  and  will  well 
reward  a  patient  reading." 

From  the  Western  State  Journal;  Syracuse. 

"  This  is  a  neat  volume  of  over  200  pages,  the  author  of  which 
professes  to  be  guided  by  '  the  plain  sense  of  the  Scripture,  or  that 
which  naturally  strikes  the  minds  of  plain  men  as  the  real  meaning.' 
The  work  is  designed  to  be  a  commentary  for  popular  use,  and  is 
written  in  a  clear  and  comprehensive  style.  It  will  be  read  with 
pleasure  and  profit  by  members  of  all  denominations." 

From  the  Buffalo  Commercial  Advertiser. 

"  We  are  inclined  to  look  with  but  little  favor  on  attempts  to  ex- 
pound the  mysteries  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  but  we  are  better 
pleased  with  this  than  with  any  similar  effort  we  ^ave  seen  in  a  long 
time.  The  writer  has  preserved  his  good  sense  and  candor  throughout, 
instead  of  running  off"  into  wild  fantastic  vagaries,  as  has  too  often 
been  the  case  with  others  who  have  undertaken  the  task  of  an  inter- 
preter of  this  mysterious  prophecy  ;  and  if  he  fail  to  compel  our  assent 
to  all  his  views,  we  cannot  but  approve  the  conscientious  manner  in 
which  they  are  put  forlh." 


DATE  DUE 

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